TY - JOUR
T1 - Extreme weather and air pollution effects on cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions in Cyprus
AU - Tsangari, H.
AU - Paschalidou, A. K.
AU - Kassomenos, A. P.
AU - Vardoulakis, S.
AU - Heaviside, C.
AU - Georgiou, K. E.
AU - Yamasaki, E. N.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research Promotion Foundation (Project ΥΓΕΙΑ/ΔΥΓΕΙΑ/0609(ΒΙΕ)/20 ). The authors also wish to thank Dr. Pavlos Pavlou (Health Monitoring Unit, Ministry of Health), Mr. Stelios Pashiardis (Senior Meteorological Officer, the Cyprus Meteorological Service), and Mr. Savvas Kleanthous (Head of the Air Quality Section, Department of Labour Inspection, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Cyprus) for providing the data used in the study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2016/1/15
Y1 - 2016/1/15
N2 - In many regions of the world, climatic change is associated with increased extreme temperatures, which can have severe effects on mortality and morbidity. In this study, we examine the effect of extreme weather on hospital admissions in Cyprus, for inland and coastal areas, through the use of synoptic weather classifications (air mass types). In addition, the effect of particulate air pollution (PM10) on morbidity is examined. Our results show that two air mass types, namely (a) warm, rainy days with increased levels of water vapour in the atmosphere and (b) cold, cloudy days with increased levels of precipitation, were associated with increased morbidity in the form of hospital admissions. This was true both for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, for all age groups, but particularly for the elderly, aged over 65. Particulate air pollution was also associated with increased morbidity in Cyprus, where the effect was more pronounced for cardiovascular diseases.
AB - In many regions of the world, climatic change is associated with increased extreme temperatures, which can have severe effects on mortality and morbidity. In this study, we examine the effect of extreme weather on hospital admissions in Cyprus, for inland and coastal areas, through the use of synoptic weather classifications (air mass types). In addition, the effect of particulate air pollution (PM10) on morbidity is examined. Our results show that two air mass types, namely (a) warm, rainy days with increased levels of water vapour in the atmosphere and (b) cold, cloudy days with increased levels of precipitation, were associated with increased morbidity in the form of hospital admissions. This was true both for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, for all age groups, but particularly for the elderly, aged over 65. Particulate air pollution was also associated with increased morbidity in Cyprus, where the effect was more pronounced for cardiovascular diseases.
KW - Air mass types
KW - Cardiovascular/respiratory diseases
KW - Heat waves
KW - Hospital admissions
KW - Particulate air pollution
KW - Public health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84945408017&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.10.106
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.10.106
M3 - Article
C2 - 26519584
AN - SCOPUS:84945408017
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 542
SP - 247
EP - 253
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
ER -
