Meteorological correlates with myocardial and cerebral infarction and respiratory disease.

It is well known that deaths from myocardial and cerebral infarction occur more frequently in the winter months and cold weather than in the summer (Rose, 1966; Rogot and Blackwelder, 1970; Ohno, 1969; Ohno et al., 1970). The death rates from both conditions are highly correlated with air temperature but it is argued by some (Anderson and le Riche, 1970) that the association is indirect and arises because respiratory and infective disease is also commoner in cold weather and predisposes to vascular thrombosis. This paper is concerned with an exploration of this possibility and also with an examination of meteorological variables other than temperature (see Rose, 1966; Bull, 1969).