The association between heat stroke and subsequent cardiovascular diseases

PLoS One. 2019 Feb 13;14(2):e0211386. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211386. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have indicated that several critical illnesses are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Nonetheless, studies of the association between heat-related illnesses (HRIs) and subsequent CVDs are still limited. We sought to evaluate whether heat stroke (HS) was associated with an increased CVD incidence.

Methods: The data from the nationwide, population-based, retrospective, cohort study described herein were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The outcome evaluated in this study was the cumulative incidence of CVDs, which was compared between patients with HS, patients with other HRIs and a control group during a 14-year follow-up period.

Results: Our analyses included 150 HS cases, 150 patients with other HRIs and 150 patients without HRIs. The HS patients had a significantly higher incidence of developing CVDs than the other HRI and control patients (32.67% vs. 23.33% vs. 16.67%, p = 0.005). Patients with HS had an increased incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared with that of the controls (6% vs. 2.67%, p = 0.042) and an increased incidence of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) compared with those of the other HRI and control patients (12% vs. 6% vs. 4.67%, p = 0.038). An increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was also found in the patients with HS and other HRIs compared to that in the controls (17.33% vs. 14.67% vs. 6.67%, p = 0.016).

Conclusion: Prior HS was associated with an increased incidence of CVDs, particularly AMI and AIS, and an increased incidence of CKD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / complications
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Heat Stroke / complications*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Taiwan / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the Tri-Service General Hospital (grants TSGH-C107-004 to Prof. Wu-Chien Chien, TSGH-C107-045 to Dr. Jen-Chun Wang, TSGH-C107-047 to Dr. Shih-Hung Tsai, and MAB-107-013 to Dr. Shih-Hung Tsai), Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (grant MOST 106-2314-B-016 -008 -MY3 to Dr. Jen-Chun Wang), and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (grant MOST 107-2314-B-016-061 - to Dr. Shih-Hung Tsai). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.