Solar Activity Is Associated With Diastolic and Systolic Blood Pressure in Elderly Adults

2021 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 999

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2021

Study typecohort

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Solar Activity Is Associated With Diastolic and Systolic Blood Pressure in Elderly Adults Veronica A Wang, Carolina L Zilli Vieira, Eric Garshick, Joel D Schwartz, Michael S Garshick, Pantel Vokonas, Petros Koutrakis. Solar Activity Is Associated With Diastolic and Systolic Blood Pressure in Elderly Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 Nov 2;10(21):e021006. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.120.021006. Abstract Background Since solar activity and related geomagnetic disturbances modulate autonomic nervous system activity, we hypothesized that these events would be associated with blood pressure (BP). Methods We studied 675 elderly men from the Normative Aging Study (Boston, MA) with 1949 BP measurements between 2000 and 2017. Mixed-effects regression models were used to investigate the association of average 1-day (ie, day of BP measurement) to 28-day interplanetary magnetic field intensity, sunspot number, and a dichotomized measure of global geomagnetic activity (Kp index) in 4-day increments with diastolic and systolic BP. We adjusted for meteorological conditions and other covariates associated with BP, and in additional models adjusted for ambient air pollutants (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm, black carbon, and particle number) and ambient particle radioactivity. Results There were positive associations between interplanetary magnetic field, sunspot number, and Kp index and BP that were greatest with these exposures averaged over 16 through 28 days before BP measurement. An interquartile range increase of 16-day interplanetary magnetic field and sunspot number and higher Kp index were associated with a 2.5 (95% CI, 1.7‒3.2), 2.8 (95% CI, 2.1‒3.4), and 1.7 (95% CI, 0.8‒2.5) mm Hg increase, respectively, for diastolic BP as well as a 2.1 (95% CI, 0.7‒3.6), 2.7 (95% CI, 1.5‒4.0), and 0.4 (95% CI, -1.2 to 2.1) mm Hg increase, respectively, for systolic BP. Associations remained after adjustment for ambient air pollutants and ambient particle radioactivity. Conclusions Solar activity and solar-driven geomagnetic disturbances were positively associated with BP, suggesting that these natural phenomena influence BP in elderly men. Clinical Perspective What Is New? • Solar and geomagnetic activity were associated with increases in blood pressure in a large cohort of predominantly White, elderly men. • The association with blood pressure was similar to or greater than that of particulate pollution and of radioactivity associated with ambient particles. • The association of solar and geomagnetic activity with blood pressure was independent of these pollutants. What Are the Clinical Implications? • These findings suggest that natural phenomena linked to the solar cycle contributes to increases in blood pressure and, therefore, may influence hypertension management. The Earth's magnetic field protects living organisms from long-term, harmful extra-terrestrial radiation. Despite this protective shield, solar activity can cause geomagnetic disturbances (GMD), disruptions to the Earth's natural magnetic field oscillations, and can impact autonomic nervous system activities,1, 2 which can, in turn, directly and indirectly play a role in initiating and sustaining high blood pressure (BP).3 Numerous pathogenic risk factors such as genetic predisposition,4 physical activity,5 and diet6 have been identified to play key roles in the development of hypertension. A recent review7 highlighted the role of environmental factors, such as temperature, altitude, latitude, and air pollutants, in elevating BP, but few studies considered solar activity and GMD as risk factors for the development of hypertension or transient increases in BP. In those that have,8, 9 the findings suggest that individuals have elevated BP several days before and after magnetic storms. To gain insight and provide awareness into the association between solar activity and BP in elderly men, a vulnerable population at high risk for cardiovascular disease,10 we conducted a repeated measures analysis to examine the association of average 1-day (ie, day of BP measurement) to 28-day solar activity and GMD with BP among elderly men in Boston, MA who had between 1 and 8 health assessments over 17 years. We hypothesized that solar and geomagnetic activity is positively associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Open access paper: ahajournals.org

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecohort

Effect directionharm

Population675 elderly men from the Normative Aging Study (Boston, MA)

Sample size675

ExposureAverage exposures from 1-day (day of BP measurement) to 28-day windows; strongest associations for 16–28 days before BP measurement (4-day increments for Kp index).

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In mixed-effects models of 1949 BP measurements (2000–2017), interquartile range increases in 16-day averaged interplanetary magnetic field intensity and sunspot number, and higher Kp index, were positively associated with diastolic BP (2.5, 2.8, and 1.7 mm Hg increases, respectively) and with systolic BP (2.1, 2.7, and 0.4 mm Hg increases, respectively; Kp index CI included 0). Associations were greatest for exposures averaged over 16–28 days before BP measurement and remained after adjustment for meteorology, covariates, ambient air pollutants, and ambient particle radioactivity.

Outcomes measured

Diastolic blood pressure
Systolic blood pressure

Limitations

Observational repeated-measures analysis; causality cannot be established from the abstract.
Population limited to elderly men from Boston (predominantly White per abstract), which may limit generalizability.
Exposure metrics are environmental indices (interplanetary magnetic field, sunspot number, Kp) rather than individual-level EMF measurements.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cohort",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "solar activity / geomagnetic disturbances (interplanetary magnetic field intensity, sunspot number, Kp index)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "Average exposures from 1-day (day of BP measurement) to 28-day windows; strongest associations for 16–28 days before BP measurement (4-day increments for Kp index)."
  },
  "population": "675 elderly men from the Normative Aging Study (Boston, MA)",
  "sample_size": 675,
  "outcomes": [
    "Diastolic blood pressure",
    "Systolic blood pressure"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In mixed-effects models of 1949 BP measurements (2000–2017), interquartile range increases in 16-day averaged interplanetary magnetic field intensity and sunspot number, and higher Kp index, were positively associated with diastolic BP (2.5, 2.8, and 1.7 mm Hg increases, respectively) and with systolic BP (2.1, 2.7, and 0.4 mm Hg increases, respectively; Kp index CI included 0). Associations were greatest for exposures averaged over 16–28 days before BP measurement and remained after adjustment for meteorology, covariates, ambient air pollutants, and ambient particle radioactivity.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Observational repeated-measures analysis; causality cannot be established from the abstract.",
    "Population limited to elderly men from Boston (predominantly White per abstract), which may limit generalizability.",
    "Exposure metrics are environmental indices (interplanetary magnetic field, sunspot number, Kp) rather than individual-level EMF measurements."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "solar activity",
    "geomagnetic disturbances",
    "interplanetary magnetic field",
    "sunspot number",
    "Kp index",
    "blood pressure",
    "elderly men",
    "Normative Aging Study"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1161/jaha.120.021006
PubMed: Not supplied

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