Positive Association of lunar Phases with The Incidence Rate Acute Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: In addition to primary internal risk factors, certain external factors have been suggested as possible factors pertaining to development of acute myocardial infarction including lunar phases as well as circadian cycles and season changes. The aim of this study is to determine the rate of incidence for acute myocardial infarction in different lunar phases and to illuminate any possible association between certain phases and the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was done evaluating 1549 archived cases for acute myocardial infarction patients who were admitted to Seyyedalshohada Hospital, Urmia, Iran during 2013 to 2014. Considering inclusion criteria, the records were used to extract demographic data, exact date of AMI occurrence regarding lunar calendar, and the outcomes of hospital care. The obtained data were then analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical methods.Results: In this study of 1549 patients (mean age 62.03±12.38 years), 70 (4.5%) died, and 1479 (95.5%) were discharged alive. Among the infarctions, 34.2% had non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and 65.8% had ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), with anterior myocardial infarction (MI) being the most common. Analysis of MI occurrence by lunar phase showed a significant difference (P=0.001), with the full moon having the highest frequency of MIs. However, no significant correlation was found between infarction type and lunar phase (P=0.22), or between gender and lunar phases (P=0.55). No significant differences in MI occurrence were found across age groups (P=0.68). Mortality was highest during the full moon, with 5 deaths.Conclusion: Taking our results into account, it can be postulated that acute myocardial infarction as a representative of acute cardiovascular events is influenced by lunar phases. This idea can helpful in improving the status of hospital care and reducing mortality rate of cardiovascular patients if considered by emergency staff. However, more studies with larger sample size in different geographical regions are required to further investigate this possibility.