The Atmospheric Pressure and Temperature Seem to Have No Effect on the Incidence of Rupture of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in a Mid-European Region.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to examine the relationship between weather changes (atmospheric pressure and temperature) and incidence of rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

METHODS: All patients with ruptured infrarenal AAA and who were referred to our institution between August 1998 and August 2015 were prospectively entered into a database of which a retrospective review of a ruptured AAA was performed. The needed information about the daily atmospheric pressure and air temperature could be extracted from the meteorological unit in Cologne.

RESULTS: During the study period (6,225 days), a total number of 154 patients with confirmed ruptured AAA were identified. Basic patients' characteristics are tabulated. The mean daily atmospheric pressure during the study was 1,004.04 ± 8.79 mBar ranging from 965.40-1031.80 mBar. The mean atmospheric pressure on the days of rupture was 1,004.03 vs. 1,004.68 on those days when no rupture occurred (P = 0.34). The mean atmospheric pressure on the day of rupture and that on the preceding day was not significantly different (1,004.78 vs. 1,005.44 with P = 0.13). The air temperature (10.62 ± 6.25 vs. 10.77 ± 6.83°C, P = 0.787) was equally distributed between days of rupture events and control days.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study could not show a significant association between the monthly and seasonal difference in atmospheric pressure and the prevalence of AAA rupture as it has been supposed by previous studies.