[/floatl]NZHerald: Strokes more common in spring: Japan study
Strokes occur more often in the spring than any other season, and the heightened risk is seen in men, women, young and old alike, new research suggests. In a study of Japanese adults who had suffered a stroke between 1988 and 2001, researchers found that the risk of having a stroke in the spring was roughly one-quarter higher than it was in the summer. Men and women, and adults older or younger than 65, all saw their stroke rate rise in the spring compared with all other seasons. The findings, reported in the journal Stroke, are in line with some past studies showing that stroke rates tend to be higher in the colder months of winter and spring. In this study, stroke risk was highest in March, April and May, regardless of known risk factors like high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes. "The mechanisms underlying seasonal variation of strokes are not fully understood," write Dr Tanvir Chowdhury Turin of Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan, and colleagues...more...
