Data from a landmark 22-year nationwide study reveals the precise quantitative relationship between temperature and cardiac mortality. At the coldest measured temperature of −12.8°F, ischemic heart disease mortality showed a 10% relative risk elevation compared to baseline, while temperatures reaching 89.2°F demonstrated a protective 10% relative risk reduction—representing a total 20% differential across the temperature spectrum.
This mortality peak during cold months persisted consistently across all examined subgroups: different ages, sexes, racial groups, and US climate regions. The lag analysis demonstrated that temperature effects were strongest in the immediate month of exposure, then declined over subsequent months, indicating acute rather than prolonged seasonal mechanisms.
These quantified associations provide clinicians and public health officials with evidence-based data for resource planning and risk stratification during winter months.
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