Coronary artery diseaseHow the 2008 Stock Market Crash and Seasons Affect Total and Cardiac Deaths in Los Angeles County
Section snippets
Methods
From 2005 through 2008, we obtained annual LA population estimates (population estimates also obtained for 2004 and 2009), daily stock market data (Dow Jones Industrial Average Index, available at: http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/charts/chartdl.aspx?symbol=%24INDU&CP=0&PT=9”>), and daily death certificate data from the LA Department of Health Services Data Collection and Analysis Unit. We analyzed separately all deaths (total deaths from all causes) and 3 groups of cardiac deaths based on
Results
Raw data are depicted in Figure 1. There was marked seasonal variation in daily death rates in LA, which is notable for its moderate weather and modest temperature fluctuations (Figure 2). Death rates were higher in winter versus summer including total death (+17%), circulatory death (+24%), coronary heart disease death (+28%), and myocardial infarction death (+38%, p <0.0001 for each). The shape of the annual death rate curves (“U” shape) has not changed since our initial description of this
Discussion
This study was designed to determine the effect of a stock market crash on total and cardiac death in a large population. Marked seasonal variation was observed in total and cardiac death rates in accordance with previous investigations.11, 12 After accounting for seasonal variation, a large stock market crash did not affect death rates in LA.
These findings differ from other studies. Stock market volatility was reported to increase coronary heart disease deaths in Shanghai, China13 and the
Acknowledgment
Our sincere thanks to Louise Rollin, MS and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for helping with data collection.
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