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PubMed2005

Impacts of cold climate on human heat balance, performance and health in circumpolar areas.

In circumpolar areas the climate remains cool or thermoneutral during the majority of the days of the year spite of global warming. Therefore, health consequences related to cold exposure represent also in the future the majority of climate-related adverse health effects. Hot summers may be an exception. At ambient temperatures below +10 - +12 degrees C, humans experience cold stress of varying degree. Man can compensate a 10 degrees C change in ambient temperature by changing metabolic heat production by 30-40 W m(-2) or by wearing an additional/taking off ca. 0.4 clo units (corresponding to one thick clothing layer). Cold ambient temperature may be a risk for human health and cause varying levels of performance limitations. The impacts of cold exposure on health and wellbeing cause a burden to many societies in terms of lowered productivity and higher costs related to health care systems as well as public health planning and management. In order to provide preventive and protective public health actions for cold-induced adverse health effects, it is important to recognize cold related injuries, illnesses and symptoms and their turn-up temperatures, and to identify the most at-risk population subgroups and factors that increase or decrease the health risks posed by cold ambient temperatures. The majority of cold-related harmful health impacts can be prevented or managed by correct preventive and protective actions. Rapid unpredictable changes are more difficult to compensate because of lack of experience (affecting attitude and skills), preparedness (vehicles, garments, supplies, logistics etc.) and/or acclimatization.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed2002

Plants in a cold climate.

Plants are able to survive prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures; this ability is enhanced by pre-exposure to low, but above-zero temperatures. This process, known as cold acclimation, is briefly reviewed from the perception of cold, through transduction of the low-temperature signal to functional analysis of cold-induced gene products. The stresses that freezing of apoplastic water imposes on plant cells is considered and what is understood about the mechanisms that plants use to combat those stresses discussed, with particular emphasis on the role of the extracellular matrix.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1987

Occurrence of breathing problems induced by cold climate in asthmatics--a questionnaire survey.

To obtain information on the extent and severity of asthmatic symptoms during daily life in winter, a simple questionnaire was sent to 57 asthmatic patients and a control group of 180 age-matched men and women in Göteborg. The average winter temperature there is about freezing point. About two-thirds of the asthmatic patients reported cold to be a factor causing breathing difficulties. In 37%, these symptoms made the patients avoid going out during the winter. Cold, damp air was reported by the asthmatic patients to cause more symptoms than cold, dry air. The control group reported very few respiratory symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Polymer hydrolysis in a cold climate.

In this review we discuss the activity of an ecologically significant group of psychrophilic bacteria, which are involved in the hydrolysis of plant cell wall polymers. Until now these organisms have been largely overlooked, despite the key role they play in releasing organic carbon fixed by primary producers in permanently cold environments such as Antarctica. This review details a specific group of plant cell wall polymer-degrading enzymes known as beta-glycanases. Studies on "cold" enzymes in general are in their infancy, but it has been shown that many exhibit structural and functional modifications that enable them to function at low temperature. beta-Glycanases in particular are intriguing because their substrates (cellulose and xylan) are very refractile, which may indicate that their "cold" modifications are pronounced. In addition, mesophilic beta-glycanases have been extensively studied and the current state of our knowledge is reviewed. This body of information can be exploited to enable meaningful comparative studies between mesophilic and psychrophilic beta-glycanases. The aim of such investigations is to obtain a deeper insight into those structural and functional modifications that enable these enzymes to function at low temperature and to examine the evolutionary relationship between mesophilic and psychrophilic beta-glycanases.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2000

Cold climate and coronary mortality in Sweden.

UNLABELLED: In many European countries there is a tendency towards higher coronary mortality in the northern parts of the country. Furthermore the highest coronary mortality rates are found in the colder parts of Europe. We studied the regional variation in coronary mortality in the 284 Swedish municipalities during a ten-year period and the relation to the cold exposure in each municipality during the same time period. METHODS: Mortality rates for each municipality were acquired from the death certificates and indirectly standardised against the country. Temperature readings from measurements 5 times a day during daytime were used to form a cold index. We also compensated for wind chill by using Siples wind chill index. Multiple regression models were used. Second degree polynomials were used for the explanatory variables. RESULTS: There was a strong relation between the cold exposure in a municipality and coronary mortality. The cold index alone could explain 39% of the regional variation in coronary mortality. In a multiple regression model, cold index was the strongest explanatory variable. The coronary mortality in the coldest decile of the population was 40% higher than in the country as a whole. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong regional association between cold exposure and coronary mortality in Sweden. However, in this type of study, it is not possible to determine whether this association is a causal one or not.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Respiratory symptoms and asthma in relation to cold climate, inhaled allergens, and irritants: a comparison between northern and southern Finland.

We have compared data from northern and southern Finland in a large epidemiological survey on respiratory conditions. The aim was to compare the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, asthma, and chronic bronchitis in northern and southern Finland. The study was a part of comparative studies in Finland, Estonia, and Sweden, the FinEsS studies. Data from a postal survey on subjects aged 20-69 was analyzed. Participation rate was 84% of 7937 invited in Lapland in the north, and 77% of 7877 in Helsinki in the south. Physician-diagnosed asthma was reported by 5.6% in Helsinki, and by 5.5% in Lapland. Symptoms common in asthma were also equally prevalent in the two areas. Hay fever was significantly more common in Helsinki, 36% vs. 26% (p < 0.001). The prevalence for physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis was not significantly higher in Helsinki (3.4%) than in Lapland (2.9%). Those working outdoors reported more bronchitic symptoms than people working indoors (p < 0.05). Respiratory symptoms provoked by pollen or animal dander were more common in Helsinki, while symptoms provoked by inhaled irritants or cold weather conditions were more prevalent in Lapland. Current smoking was equally prevalent: 37% in Lapland and 38% in Helsinki. Risk factor analysis showed an elevated risk for chronic productive cough for living in Helsinki (OR 1.32), however, increasing age and current smoking were the strongest risk factors. In conclusion, prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms was similar in southern and northern Finland, but chronic bronchitis and bronchitic symptoms were more common in Helsinki, and the highest prevalence was found among current smokers working outdoors. Respiratory symptoms in cold weather were more prevalent in the north, while hay fever and respiratory symptoms provoked by allergens were more common in the south. The results support the view that environmental factors have a substantial effect on respiratory symptoms, but less effect on the prevalence of asthma.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Coming to grips with a slippery issue: human waste disposal in cold climates.

Problems associated with sewage treatment and human wastes at high latitudes are briefly reviewed. In view of the fact that E. coli and other faecal bacteria can survive in the snow and the coastal waters of polar regions, several methods of how to deal with sewage outfalls in the Arctic and Antarctic are compared and discussed. Some consequences of raw sewage on the health of captive populations of a variety of Antarctic invertebrates and fish are described. Locomotion and respiration appear to be most affected. However, gaps, both in understanding the biological impact of human sewage on polar ecosystems and in finding optimal solutions for the disposal and treatment of the wastes generated by people who live in polar settlements, unfortunately still remain.

Antarctic Regions↗
PubMed1993

[Sports in cold climate].

In winter sports, and in some summer sports as well, training and competitions take place under climatic conditions where it is necessary to be aware of the danger of hypothermia. Most of the lesions caused by hypothermia during sports activities are minor ones, but severe hypothermia may also occur. Lesions are encountered most frequently on the face, including the eyes, and on hands, feet and other frontal parts of the body. Special attention must be paid to risk of hypothermia in children. The organizers of sports competitions have a duty to provide proper rooms where athletes suffering from hypothermia can region their proper body temperature, and it should be possible for doctors or paramedics to take care of these and other injured athletes at the stadium, and if necessary accompany them to the nearest hospital.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Cold-climate vegetative buffer zones as pesticide-filters for surface runoff.

Vegetative buffer zones adjacent to watercourses can be effective filters for diffuse pollution from agriculture. Several investigations, even during snowmelt season, have shown that retention of sediments and sediment-bound nutrients in runoff water has been high through buffer zones (BZ). It is likely that BZ also can be effective filters for sediment-bound pesticides. The retention of glyphosate, propiconazole, fenpropimorph and soil particles was studied in surface runoff experiments with 5 m wide buffer zones. Volume proportional samples were collected after each runoff episode (1999-2002). The distribution coefficient (Kd) shows moderate to high adsorption of the pesticides to the experimental soil. Results show average retention efficiency of about 51%, 48%, 85% and 34% for particles, glyphosate, propiconazole and fenpropimorph, respectively. The amount of AMPA (which is a degradation product of glyphosate), entering the BZ was high; approximately the same amount as for glyphosate. The retention efficiency through the BZ for AMPA was about 67%. There were no significant differences in removal efficiency (in %) between winter with snowmelt and summer. This is possibly due to detachment of coarser aggregates during winter, which trap more easily in the BZ. The conclusion based on this study suggests BZ to be contributors to reduced pesticide input to surface waters.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2002

Heart failure in a cold climate. Seasonal variation in heart failure-related morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVES: This study was done to determine whether seasonal variation exists in hospitalizations and deaths due to heart failure (HF) and to examine possible contributors to such variability. BACKGROUND: Although seasonal variation in the incidence of acute myocardial infarction and sudden death is well recognized, it is less well documented in HF. METHODS: We used the linked Scottish Morbidity Record scheme, which provides individualized morbidity and mortality data for the entire Scottish population. RESULTS: Between 1990 and 1996, there were a total of 75,452 male and 81,269 female hospitalizations related to HF in Scotland, with an average rate of admissions per 100,000 population of 8.4 and 8.5 per day, respectively. Significantly more admissions occurred in winter compared to summer (p < 0.0001). In women, the peak rate of admission occurred in December (12% more than average) and the lowest rate in July (7% less than average) (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, p < 0.001). The respective figures for men were 6% more, 8% less (OR 1.16, p < 0.001). In both genders, the greatest variation occurred in those aged >75 years---peak winter rates being 15% to 18% higher than average. There was also a winter peak in concomitantly coded respiratory disease; this seasonal excess accounted for approximately one-fifth of the winter increment in HF hospitalizations. Seasonal variation in mortality was also seen in these patients. The number of male deaths in December was 16% higher, and in July 7% lower, than average (OR 1.25, p < 0.001). In women, the equivalent figures were 21% higher (January) and 14% lower (July) (OR 1.21, p < 0.001). Again, the greatest variation occurred in those aged >75 years---peak rates being 23% to 35% higher than average. CONCLUSIONS: There is substantial seasonal variation in HF hospitalizations and deaths, particularly in the elderly. Approximately one-fifth of the winter excess in admissions is attributable to respiratory disease. Extra vigilance in patients with HF is advisable in winter, as is immunization against pneumococcus and influenza.

Age Distribution↗