SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGAL
Exposure to cold weather has negative consequences on human health. Studies have been showing that the seasonality of mortality has an evident peak during winter months in European countries. However, the highest increases in mortality are registered in countries with mild winters. According to seve...
Main Authors: | , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Lomonosov Moscow State University
2015-03-01
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Series: | Geography, Environment, Sustainability |
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Online Access: | https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/75 |
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author | Ricardo Almendra Paula Santana João Vasconcelos Elisabete Freire |
author_facet | Ricardo Almendra Paula Santana João Vasconcelos Elisabete Freire |
author_sort | Ricardo Almendra |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Exposure to cold weather has negative consequences on human health. Studies have been showing that the seasonality of mortality has an evident peak during winter months in European countries. However, the highest increases in mortality are registered in countries with mild winters. According to several studies winter deaths seem to be associated with low socioeconomic conditions. The main aims of this study are to identify the trends of mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system and excess winter deaths in Portugal and to assess the geographical pattern of seasonal mortality. In the 20 years under analyses, mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system increased 38% during winter months when compared to the non-winter period. Important regional disparities were found, the Excess Winter Death index ranged from 21% to 48%, the central regions tend to have better results. Our results indicate that although circulatory mortality is significantly decreasing inPortugal, the vulnerability to seasonal cold weather remains as an important public healthissue. These findings suggest that the exposure to cold weather is an important determinantof cardiovascular diseases that is still neglected in Portugal. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-10T02:33:52Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-9c92f9466fe0465bb524c3b0a499276b |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2071-9388 2542-1565 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-10T02:33:52Z |
publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
publisher | Lomonosov Moscow State University |
record_format | Article |
series | Geography, Environment, Sustainability |
spelling | doaj.art-9c92f9466fe0465bb524c3b0a499276b2023-03-13T07:52:31ZengLomonosov Moscow State UniversityGeography, Environment, Sustainability2071-93882542-15652015-03-0181717810.24057/2071-9388-2015-8-1-71-7874SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGALRicardo Almendra0Paula Santana1João Vasconcelos2Elisabete Freire3CEGOT, Departamento de Geografia, Universidade de Coimbra; Instituto de Estudos Geográficos, Largo da Porta Férrea, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de CoimbraCEGOT, Departamento de Geografia, Universidade de Coimbra; Instituto de Estudos Geográficos, Largo da Porta Férrea, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de CoimbraGITUR/ESTM — Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos RemédiosCIAUD, Universidade de Lisboa; Rua Sá Nogueira, Pólo Universitário do Alto da AjudaExposure to cold weather has negative consequences on human health. Studies have been showing that the seasonality of mortality has an evident peak during winter months in European countries. However, the highest increases in mortality are registered in countries with mild winters. According to several studies winter deaths seem to be associated with low socioeconomic conditions. The main aims of this study are to identify the trends of mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system and excess winter deaths in Portugal and to assess the geographical pattern of seasonal mortality. In the 20 years under analyses, mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system increased 38% during winter months when compared to the non-winter period. Important regional disparities were found, the Excess Winter Death index ranged from 21% to 48%, the central regions tend to have better results. Our results indicate that although circulatory mortality is significantly decreasing inPortugal, the vulnerability to seasonal cold weather remains as an important public healthissue. These findings suggest that the exposure to cold weather is an important determinantof cardiovascular diseases that is still neglected in Portugal.https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/75diseases of the circulatory systemseasonal mortalityexcess winter deathsportugal |
spellingShingle | Ricardo Almendra Paula Santana João Vasconcelos Elisabete Freire SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGAL Geography, Environment, Sustainability diseases of the circulatory system seasonal mortality excess winter deaths portugal |
title | SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGAL |
title_full | SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGAL |
title_fullStr | SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGAL |
title_full_unstemmed | SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGAL |
title_short | SEASONAL MORTALITY PATTERNS DUE TO DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN PORTUGAL |
title_sort | seasonal mortality patterns due to diseases of the circulatory system in portugal |
topic | diseases of the circulatory system seasonal mortality excess winter deaths portugal |
url | https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/75 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT ricardoalmendra seasonalmortalitypatternsduetodiseasesofthecirculatorysysteminportugal AT paulasantana seasonalmortalitypatternsduetodiseasesofthecirculatorysysteminportugal AT joaovasconcelos seasonalmortalitypatternsduetodiseasesofthecirculatorysysteminportugal AT elisabetefreire seasonalmortalitypatternsduetodiseasesofthecirculatorysysteminportugal |