Long-Term Effects of the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on Incidence of Fatal and Nonfatal Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the long-term effects of the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami on the incidence of fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI). In the present study, the incidence of 2 types of cardiac events was comprehensively recorded. The study area was divided into 2 zones based on the severity of tsunami damage, which was determined by the percentage of the inundated area within the residential area (<10%, low-impact zone and ≥10%, high-impact zone). The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and 95% CI for both types of cardiac events during the disaster year and the postdisaster years were determined in each zone. During the 4-year period after the disaster, the SIRs for nonfatal MI did not change to a statistically significant extent in either zones. For fatal MI, the SIR was stable during the study period in the low-impact zone. However, in the high-impact zone, the SIR was significantly elevated in the disaster year of 2011 (1.80 [95% CI 1.32 to 2.28]), and this increase was sustained for the following 3 years (2012, 2.06 [1.55 to 2.57]; 2013, 1.99 [1.49 to 2.48]; 2014, 2.12 [1.62 to 2.63]). The SIRs for fatal MI for the 4 postdisaster years in the municipal areas were significantly correlated with the percentage of the inundated area (r = 0.83; p <0.001) and the number of deaths due to the tsunami (r = 0.77; p <0.005) but not with the maximum seismic intensity (r = 0.43; p = 0.12). In conclusion, these results suggest that the devastating tsunami was associated with a continual increase in the incidence of fatal MI among disaster survivors.

The Incidence, Risk Factors, and Chronobiology of Acute Myocardial Infarction Ten Years After Hurricane Katrina

“…Over the early part of the 21st century, the incidence of worldwide natural disasters has increased sixfold compared with the previous 5 decades 6 . Recently, a 4-year increased incidence of myocardial infarction in areas affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011 has been reported, suggesting a similar impact to what we have observed at our center in New Orleans post-Katrina 7 . Both Hurricanes Sandy and Matthew serve as even more recent examples of massive storms to pummel the United States along its eastern seaboard.…”

“…6 Recently, a 4-year increased incidence of myocardial infarction in areas affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011 has been reported, suggesting a similar impact to what we have observed at our center in New Orleans post-Katrina. 7 Both Hurricanes Sandy and Matthew serve as even more recent examples of massive storms to pummel the United States along its eastern seaboard. Notably, an increased incidence of AMI and associated mortality was seen in New Jersey during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which echoes the results of prior investigations into the short-term effects of natural disasters on the incidence of AMI, that is, the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, California, and the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in Japan.…”

Temporal Trends in the Incidence and Clinical Features of Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Japanese Rural Area From 2006 to 2014

“…However, we recently reported that the incidence of MI in the present study area was not significantly affected by the disaster, at least from 2011 to 2014. 34 In conclusion, the present study is the first to demonstrate a decreasing trend in the MI incidence from 2009 to 2014 in a Japanese rural population, especially among the elderly. Although the frequency of coronary revascularization therapies gradually increased during the study period, the in-hospital mortality rate of elderly subjects did not significantly improve.…”

Stress, psychological disease, psychological well-being and personality in Italian firefighters compared to other working categories

“…Stress generated by traumatic events can cause a heart attack. Some studies evidenced that after a natural disease, such as the Athens earthquake of 1981 and Japan tsunami of 2011, the incidence of myocardical infarction in people who suffered losses and damages increased significantly (Nakamura et al, 2017;Trichopoulos et al, 1983). Cells react to stressors through a genetic mechanism by which catecholamines are released, generating myocardial ischemia.…”