The Atmospheric Pressure and Temperature Seem to Have No Effect on the Incidence of Rupture of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in a Mid-European Region.

BACKGROUND

This study aims to examine the relationship between weather changes (atmospheric pressure and temperature) and incidence of rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

METHODS

All patients with ruptured infrarenal AAA and who were referred to our institution between August 1998 and August 2015 were prospectively entered into a database of which a retrospective review of a ruptured AAA was performed. The needed information about the daily atmospheric pressure and air temperature could be extracted from the meteorological unit in Cologne.

RESULTS

During the study period (6,225 days), a total number of 154 patients with confirmed ruptured AAA were identified. Basic patients' characteristics are tabulated. The mean daily atmospheric pressure during the study was 1,004.04 ± 8.79 mBar ranging from 965.40-1031.80 mBar. The mean atmospheric pressure on the days of rupture was 1,004.03 vs. 1,004.68 on those days when no rupture occurred (P = 0.34). The mean atmospheric pressure on the day of rupture and that on the preceding day was not significantly different (1,004.78 vs. 1,005.44 with P = 0.13). The air temperature (10.62 ± 6.25 vs. 10.77 ± 6.83°C, P = 0.787) was equally distributed between days of rupture events and control days.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study could not show a significant association between the monthly and seasonal difference in atmospheric pressure and the prevalence of AAA rupture as it has been supposed by previous studies.