Extreme rainfall poses health risks

 

An international study led by Helmholtz Munich investigates the health consequences of heavy rainfall events. Researchers analyzed the relationship between precipitation patterns and mortality rates at 645 locations across 34 countries from 1980 to 2020. The key finding: Extremely heavy rainfall, which occurs approximately every five years, significantly increases the risk of death, particularly among individuals with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The impacts, however, vary greatly by region and depend on local climate and environmental conditions.

"From East Asia, it was already known that extreme rain events have a strong impact on human health," says Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Deputy Director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Head of the Environmental Risks research group at Helmholtz Munich: "With our current study, we wanted to investigate the global impacts of extreme rainfall events on health." The team analyzed extensive data covering four decades and a wide geographical spread. 

"To examine the precise effects of heavy rain on mortality, we differentiated the rainfall events by their so-called return periods -- the statistical frequency of such extreme events -- and analyzed their impact on various health risks," Schneider explains.

Extreme Rain Disrupts Medical Treatment and Leads to Stress

The detailed insights into the connections between extreme weather events and health consequences revealed: The data show a significant increase in mortality rates within a 14-day lag period associated with extreme rainfall, which statistically occurs about every five years.

"In addition to the increase in general mortality, the negative effects of these extreme weather events were particularly evident in people with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases," says Dr. Cheng He, lead author of the study and a scientist at Helmholtz Munich: "The health risks from extremely heavy rain can arise from medical treatments being disrupted, medications being unavailable, or affected individuals suffering from severe psychological stress. Airborne pathogens, facilitated by high humidity, are also a possible explanation."

On the other hand, the research team observed protective effects on people's health during comparatively moderate rainfall events with a return period of one to two years.

These may be due to improved air quality and reduced air temperatures following the precipitation.

The study also highlights the importance of regional factors that modify the impacts of extreme rainfall on health: climate zone, vegetation coverage, and variability in daily precipitation of each city.

Minimizing Health Risks From Heavy Rain

Given the clear results of the study, political action is essential, says Prof. Annette Peters, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology: "In light of climate change and more frequent extreme rainfall events, we need robust health prevention strategies and adaptation measures worldwide, particularly focusing on improving infrastructure and strengthening health systems in the most affected regions." The implementation of early warning systems for extreme weather events and the promotion of green infrastructure in urban areas could also help minimize the health risks caused by heavy rainfall. "It's not just about responding to emergencies, but proactively taking measures to protect the population from the foreseeable consequences of climate change," says Peters: "It's about saving lives."

Journal Reference:

1. Cheng He, Susanne Breitner-Busch, Veronika Huber, Kai Chen, Siqi Zhang, Antonio Gasparrini, Michelle Bell, Haidong Kan, Dominic Royé, Ben Armstrong, Joel Schwartz, Francesco Sera, Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, Yasushi Honda, Jouni J K Jaakkola, Niilo Ryti, Jan Kyselý, Yuming Guo, Shilu Tong, Francesca de’Donato, Paola Michelozzi, Micheline de Sousa Zanotti Staglior Coelho, Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva, Eric Lavigne, Hans Orru, Ene Indermitte, Mathilde Pascal, Patrick Goodman, Ariana Zeka, Yoonhee Kim, Magali Hurtado Diaz, Eunice Elizabeth Félix Arellano, Ala Overcenco, Jochem Klompmaker, Shilpa Rao, Alfonso Diz-Lois Palomares, Gabriel Carrasco, Xerxes Seposo, Susana das Neves Pereira da Silva, Joana Madureira, Iulian-Horia Holobaca, Noah Scovronick, Fiorella Acquaotta, Ho Kim, Whanhee Lee, Masahiro Hashizume, Aurelio Tobias, Carmen Íñiguez, Bertil Forsberg, Martina S Ragettli, Yue Leon Guo, Shih-Chun Pan, Samuel Osorio, Shanshan Li, Antonella Zanobetti, Tran Ngoc Dang, Do Van Dung, Alexandra Schneider. Rainfall events and daily mortality across 645 global locations: two stage time series analysis. BMJ, 2024; e080944 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2024-080944 

Courtesy:

Helmholtz Munich. "Extreme rainfall poses health risks." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 October 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241010124903.htm>.

 

 

 

Large variation in how girls grow after their first period

 

There is unexpectedly large variation in height growth in girls after their first period. Every second girl grows either more or less in length than the 6-8 centimeters that is considered standard. This has been shown in a study conducted at the University of Gothenburg.

The aim of the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics, was to investigate how the timing of the first menstruation is related to the subsequent height growth in girls and the factors behind it.

The study included 793 healthy women in the Gothenburg region and Halland in southwest Sweden who were followed from birth, through childhood, puberty and into adulthood. Data were extracted from surveys of participants, interview questionnaires and registry data. Data on parental height are also included.

The average age of first period was 13.0 years with an age range from 8.2 to 17.2 years. After their first period, the girls grew an average of 8.0 centimeters and a median of 7.0 centimeters, which were expected levels.

One in two outside the chart

However, the range was strikingly wide: from 0.2 to 31.1 centimeters in height growth. Of the participants, only one in two grew 6-8 centimeters, which is often considered normal height growth after the first period.

The study reinforces the idea that early onset of menstruation is followed by greater height growth and vice versa. The onset of menstruation before the age of 12 was followed by a growth in the median of almost 13 centimeters. For study participants who had their first period after just over 14 years of age, the corresponding growth was about 3 centimeters.

"This variation in growth after menstruation and to final height is much greater than previous studies have shown. The variations depend very much on when they get their period. There is a huge difference between those who get their period early and those who get it later," says Jenni Gårdstedt Berghog, a Doctor at the women's healthcare clinic at Halland Hospital in Halmstad and one of the lead authors.

The study confirms that childhood BMI also plays a role. Both low childhood BMI and tall parents can separately be associated with later menstrual onset. A high childhood BMI, which in itself drives height growth in the child, is followed by earlier onset of menstruation -- and shorter final length. Everything is measured at group level and variations are very large.

Unexpectedly large variations

The principal investigator of the study is Anton Holmgren, a Pediatric Researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, a Pediatrician at Halland Hospital in Halmstad, and active within Research and Development in Region Halland.

"There is a widespread belief that girls grow 6-8 centimeters after their first period, which even medical students are taught," he says. "With this study, we show that there is a huge variation and that those who enter puberty early and get their first period early grow significantly more than previously thought, and that those who are late in getting their first period do not grow that much more."

"Increasing knowledge in this area is good even if it is not linked to any disease. How you grow, when puberty occurs and whether one becomes tall or short, it is something that all people have a relation to," concludes Anton Holmgren.

Journal Reference:

1. Jenni Gårdstedt-Berghog, Aimon Niklasson, Agneta Sjöberg, A. Stefan Aronson, Aldina Pivodic, Andreas F. M. Nierop, Kerstin Albertsson-Wikland, Anton Holmgren. Timing of menarche and pubertal growth patterns using the QEPS growth model. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2024; 12 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1438042 

Courtesy:

University of Gothenburg. "Large variation in how girls grow after their first period." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 September 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240927173549.htm>.