Effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and huge tsunami on glycaemic control and blood pressure in patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine the effects of a huge tsunami resulting from the Great East Japan Earthquake on blood pressure (BP) control and glycaemic control in diabetic patients.DesignA retrospective study.SettingTohoku University, Japan.Participants63 patients were visiting Rikuzentakata Hospital for diabetic treatment before the earthquake and returned to the clinic in July after the earthquake, and they were analysed in the present study. The subjects were divided into two groups: those who were hit by the tsunami, the Tsunami (+) group (n=28), and those who were not, the Tsunami (−) group (n=35), and the groups' parameters and their changes were compared.Primary outcome measureChanges of HbA1c.Secondary outcome measuresChanges of BP, body mass index.ResultsHbA1c and both BP increased, while the numbers of most drugs taken decreased in both groups. Parameter changes were significantly greater in the Tsunami (+) group. All medical data stored at the hospital was lost in the tsunami. The Tsunami (+) patients also had their own records of treatment washed away, so it was difficult to replicate their pre-earthquake drug prescriptions afterwards. In comparison, the Tsunami (−) patients kept their treatment information, making it possible to resume the treatment they had been receiving before the earthquake. The BP rose only slightly in men, whereas it rose sharply in women, even though they had not been directly affected by the tsunami. BP rose markedly in both genders affected by the tsunami.ConclusionsAll medical information was lost in the tsunami, and glycaemic and BP controls of the tsunami-affected patients worsened more than those of patients who had been affected by the earthquake alone. Women may be more sensitive to changes in the living environment that result from a major earthquake than are men.

The Effect of War on the Control of Diabetes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Of the patients following up in our clinic after the war, 22.1% had been displaced from their homes because of the war, which has been found to be a risk factor for uncontrolled diabetes in other studies [6,13]. In our study, 10% of the patients had lost a first-or seconddegree relative and 8.9% had damage to their homes because of the war.…”

“…Studies done in other countries during war have shown different results, with some having an increase in HbA1c during war and others showing no change in diabetes control [5][6][7][8]. There has been a worsening of diabetes control after other disasters, such as extensive flooding [11], earthquakes and tsunamis [12,13]. Additionally, acute psychological stress has been found to cause hyperglycemia in studies in animals and humans [14,15].…”

“…This seems to be overestimated by the patients, since many of them had been displaced, were staying with relatives and were probably unlikely to stay on their usual diet. A study in Japan after a tsunami showed that patients had to change their diet due to the unavailability of fresh foods, and they mostly subsisted on preserved foods [13]. Fresh food was unavailable in some cities during the war, but in Sana'a, fresh food was available at all times.…”

Influence of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami 2011 on Occurrence of Cerebrovascular Diseases in Iwate, Japan

“…Increases in blood pressure and aggravation of diabetes mellitus were reported after the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. 21,22 This disaster placed many people in northeastern Japan under a great deal of stress because of loss of their families, loss of their homes, life in shelter, lifeline damage, lack of daily necessities, and insufficiency of medical service. Mental stress and environmental changes after disasters caused increased sympathetic nervous activity, elevation of blood pressure, elevation of blood viscosity, increased coagulation function, and platelet activation, and these factors can trigger cardio-and cerebrovascular diseases.…”

Life-event stress induced by the Great East Japan Earthquake was associated with relapse in ulcerative colitis but not Crohn's disease: a retrospective cohort study

“…In terms of earthquake-associated disease onset or aggravation, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and peptic ulcer were reported to have increased after the huge earthquake. [12][13][14][15][16][17] However, there has been no report about relapses of IBD caused by the huge earthquake.…”