Study results released today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) 8th Annual Meeting revealed a correlation between lower temperatures and increased hospital admissions for ischemic stroke and transischemic stroke (TIA) in an east coast city population. As one of the largest studies to date on this phenomenon, this data reinforces the association between stroke and meterological variables.



“A proven correlation between environmental factors such as weather and increased stroke incidence could result in new ways of considering how we approach stroke treatment in terms of hospital preparedness, as well as steps we could take to enhance public education and stroke prevention initiatives,” said Charles Prestigiacomo, M.D., Director of Cerebrovascular and endovascular Surgery at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and principal study author.



According to Prestigiacomo and study presenter and colleague Dmitriy Petrov, prior studies on the association between weather and increased stroke incidence have taken place in areas reflective of extreme temperature patterns, resulting in data that cannot be generalized to more temperate climates. The aim of this study was to focus on the role of meteorological variables on the rate of ischemic events in a geographical area that would be representative of an east coast city population.



Study criteria included days when ischemic stroke presented versus days absent of ischemic events against weather data including temperature and dew point during the period of July 2009 to July 2010 at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. Additionally, weather variables, collected from two databases, 5.4 and 1.1 miles away from the study site respectively, were measured against consecutive days with stroke admissions and single days with multiple stroke admissions (defined as clusters). Using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) model, study authors determined that across 297 ischemic stroke events, a decrease in weather variables, including maximum temperature, minimum temperature, average temperature, and humidity (as measured by dew point and wet bulb temperature) was associated with an increased incidence of stroke. Equally as notable, these same weather variables showed a statistically significant correlation to increased clustering of ischemic events.  The variation of monthly admission rates was insignificant.



For purposes of assessment, standardized data collection was utilized for each patient, including demographic information, relevant medical history, medications, disease course and laboratory data/vitals upon admission.

Looking ahead, Prestigiacomo says there is more work to be done in the assessment of the link between weather and stroke in order to determine why this association exists. For example, he says, in future studies, it will be essential to assess how weather influences individual patient behavior preceding and/or at the time of the stroke. "This additional data will help us fill in the canvas where it concerns this association, and continue to inform the way we talk about and prepare for stroke in clinical and public settings."



SNIS members specialize in minimally invasive and endovascular procedures to treat stroke, aneurysms, carotid stenosis and spine fractures. As both innovators and leaders, our physicians have made numerous contributions to the neurosciences including: advancing stroke treatment through catheter based therapy (extending treatment time up to six to eight hours); innovating endovascular coiling for aneurysms which has been acknowledged in many cases as safer than the traditional surgical clipping; pioneering interventional procedures to treat fractures in the spine; participating in the start-up of hospital-based stroke centers; and initiating the first-ever stroke registry to track the success of interventional procedures used to treat acute stroke. More information on SNIS and our members’ treatment specialties may be found at www.snisonline.org