Document Detail


Earthquake-induced potentiation of acute risk factors in hypertensive elderly patients: possible triggering of cardiovascular events after a major earthquake.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  9120177     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the potentiation of acute risk factors after the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake (7.2 on the Richter scale). BACKGROUND: The frequency of cardiovascular events increases just after a major earthquake, but the causative factors have not been fully investigated. METHODS: We studied the changes in cardiovascular risk factors in 42 elderly outpatients with well-controlled hypertension living near the epicenter (Awaji-Hokudan districts) 7 to 14 days after the earthquake when the major felt-aftershocks persisted. They all experienced the highest stress grading of 6 (catastrophic stress) according to the DSM-III-R. To study the hemostatic profile and endothelial cell state, we measured the blood pressure (BP), hematocrit and lipid profiles as well as fibrinogen, a marker of fibrin turnover (D-dimer), fibrinolytic factors (plasmin-alpha2-plasmin inhibitor complex [PIC], tissue-type plasminogen activator [t-PA] antigen and t-PA inhibitor [PAI] activity) and an endothelial cell-derived marker (von Willebrand factor [vWF]). RESULTS: Systolic and diastolic blood pressures and other variables increased after the earthquake. Before and after the earthquake, the median (25th to 75th percentiles) systolic BP was 152 (range 142 to 164) and 170 mm Hg (range 161 to 178), respectively (p < 0.0001), and the diastolic BP was 83 (range 79 to 88) and 91 mm Hg (range 84 to 96), respectively (p < 0.0001). Of blood viscosity determinants, hematocrit was 38.1% (range 40.7% to 35.9%) and 39.7% (range 42.9% to 38.3%), respectively (p < 0.001), and fibrinogen 316 (range 272 to 360) and 335 mg/dl (range 307 to 391), respectively (p < 0.05). Von Willebrand factor was 128% (range 74% to 148%) and 148% (range 100% to 178%), respectively (p < 0.01); D-dimer was 410 (range 285 to 633) and 560 ng/ml (range 391 to 888), respectively (p < 0.0001); and PIC was 0.74 (range 0.58 to 0.91) and 0.75 microg/ml (range 0.58 to 1.1), respectively (p < 0.05). In contrast, lipid profiles did not change after the quake. When the patients were classified into the high stress and moderate stress groups according to the degrees of damage to their house and injury to family members, the levels of fibrinogen, vWF, PIC and t-PA antigen were increased only in the former group, whereas BP, hematocrit and D-dimer levels were increased in both groups. These abnormalities of acute risk factors, except for vWF, were transient and decreased to prequake levels by 4 to 6 months after the quake. CONCLUSIONS: Earthquake-induced stress seems to induce transient increases in BP, blood viscosity determinants and fibrin turnover and to prolong endothelial cell stimulation. The potentiation of these acute risk factors might contribute to the occurrence of cardiovascular events just after a major earthquake in elderly subjects with hypertension.
Authors:
K Kario; T Matsuo; H Kobayashi; K Yamamoto; K Shimada
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of the American College of Cardiology     Volume:  29     ISSN:  0735-1097     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.     Publication Date:  1997 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1997-04-24     Completed Date:  1997-04-24     Revised Date:  2008-11-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8301365     Medline TA:  J Am Coll Cardiol     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  926-33     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiology, Jichi Medical School, Kawachi, Tochigi, Japan.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Blood Viscosity
Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology*,  etiology,  physiopathology
Disasters*
Female
Fibrinolysis
Humans
Hypertension / complications
Incidence
Japan / epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Risk Factors

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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