Impact of meteorological conditions and PM2.5 on the onset of acute aortic dissection in monsoonal climate

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of meteorological conditions and PM(2.5) on the onset of acute aortic dissection in monsoonal climate. METHODS: A linear regression analysis was performed in monsoonal climate epidemiological survey for a period of four years on the impact of meteorological factors (minimal temperature, mean temperature, maximal temperature, average daily surface temperature, day temperature range, relative humidity, mean wind speed, and atmospheric pressure) and PM(2.5) concentration on the daily incidences of acute aortic dissections. Meteorological variables and PM(2.5) concentration were retrieved on a daily basis from Beijing Regional Climate Center and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China's website, and the daily incidences of acute aortic dissections were retrieved from the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System in the Emergency and Critical Care Center of Beijing Anzhen Hospital. RESULTS: During the study period (from January 2011 to December 2014), 1164 patients were identified as having acute aortic dissections. The corresponding incidences in spring and autumn were 0.96 and 1.00, respectively, which significantly higher than that in summer and winter. The incidences of acute aortic dissection in a day could be predicted by diurnal temperature range (DTR) using the following linear multiple regression models: incidences of acute aortic dissection = 0.543 + 0.025 × DTR. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show an attributable effect of DTR on acute aortic events in monsoonal climate. Our study confirms that meteorological variables were important factors influencing the incidence of acute aortic dissection.