Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Weather Conditions.

Background: Weather is a well-known factor worldwide in psychiatric problems such as depression, with the elderly and females being particularly susceptible. The aim of this study was to detect associations between the risk of depressive symptoms (DS) and weather variables. Methods: 6937 participants were assessed in the baseline survey of the Health Alcohol Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study during 2006−2008. To assess the risk of DS, a multivariate logistic model was created with predictors such as socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, and weather variables. Results: DS were found in 23.4% of the respondents, in 15.6% of males and in 29.9% in females. A higher risk of DS (by 25%) was associated with November−December, a rising wind speed, and relative humidity (RH) < 94% and snowfall during the cold period occurring 2 days before the survey. A higher air temperature (>14.2 °C) predominant during May−September had a protective impact. A higher risk of DS in males was associated with lower atmospheric pressure (<1009 hPa) 2 days before. Females were more sensitive to the monthly variation, snowfall, and RH. Conclusions: The findings of our study suggest that some levels of weather variables have a statistically significant effect on DS.

Association between the living environment and the risk of arterial hypertension and other components of metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by numerous metabolic risk factors. We investigated the associations between a long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and the residential distance to green spaces (GS) and major roads with the development of arterial hypertension (AH) and some components of MS. These associations were assessed among persons living in private and multi-story houses (MH). METHODS: We selected 1354 participants for the population study from MONICA (Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease Program). The exposures to PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 levels were assessed by using the LUR models for Kaunas City. RESULTS: In the participants who lived in MH, the residential distance to a major road closer than 200 m and the residential exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 levels above the median were associated with a higher risk of AH (the adjusted relative risks (RRs), respectively, were 1.41(1.10-1.81), 1.19(1.01-1.42) and 1.27(1.07-1.52)). In these participants, the residential exposure to a PM10 level above the median was associated with a higher risk of reduced high density lipoprotein (RHDL) (RR = 1.46(1.05-2.05)). A negative impact of the traffic air pollutants on the incidence of AH, RHDL cholesterol and high triglyceride levels was observed only in the participants who lived in MH.

The influence of proximity to city parks and major roads on the development of arterial hypertension.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the relation between residential distance from major roads and city parks and the development of arterial hypertension. METHODS: In this study, we used data of the population included in the MONICA survey (Lithuania). In total, 739 participants without arterial hypertension were selected for the present study. Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was used to evaluate the associations between distances from a major road and a city park expressed as categorical variables and the incidence of arterial hypertension, adjusting for individual risk factors. RESULTS: For persons living at a distance of 151-300 m and > 300 m from city parks, relative risks were 1.49 (95% CI 1.03-2.15) and 1.51 (95% CI 1.10-2.07) respectively, as compared to a ≤ 150 m distance from city parks. For persons living further than 200 m away from a major road, the relative risk for the residential distance from city parks > 150 m was 2.36 ( p = 0.029) times higher, as compared to a ≤ 150 m distance from city parks. We found that an increased risk of arterial hypertension was associated with the distance from a city park > 350 m and the distance to a major road < 200 m (RR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.03-2.12) as compared to living ≤ 350 m to a city park and ≥ 200 m away from a major road. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the incidence of arterial hypertension was associated with a shorter distance to a major road and a greater distance to a city park. The effect modification of a shorter distance to a major road on the association between a greater distance to city parks and the incidence of arterial hypertension was identified.

Associations of short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants with emergency ambulance calls for the exacerbation of essential arterial hypertension.

We investigated the association between daily emergency ambulance calls (EAC) for elevated blood pressure that occurred during the time intervals of 8:00-13:59, 14:00-21:59, and 22:00-7:59, and exposure to CO, PM10, and ozone. We used Poisson regression to explore the association between the risk of EAC and short-term variation of pollutants, adjusting for seasonality and weather variables. Before noon, the risk was associated with an interquartile range (IQR) (7.9 µg/m3) increase in PM10 at lag 2-4 days below the median (RR = 1.08, p = 0.031) and with an IQR (0.146 mg/m3) increase in CO at lag 6-7 below the median (RR = 1.05, p = 0.028). During 14:00-21:59, the risk was associated with an IQR (18.8 µg/m3) increase in PM10 on the previous day below the median (RR = 1.04, p = 0.031). At night, EAC were negatively affected by lower O3 (lag 0-2) below the median (per IQR decrease RR = 1.10, p = 0.018) and a higher PM10 at lag 0-1 above the median for the elderly (RR = 1.07, p = 0.030).