Geomagnetic activity related to acute myocardial infarctions: Relationship in a reduced population and time interval

Abstract

We use medical data of acute myocardial infarctions for 5 hospitals in the city of Havana covering an estimated population of 850 000 inhabitants during the years 1992 to 1999. We analyze the occurrence of infarctions in relation to geomagnetic activity through the Ap index considering low and high activity levels. The distribution of the infarctions in geomagnetically calm (Ap<10 g) and geomagnetically perturbed (Ap >50 g) periods is different. Performing a superposed epoch analysis, we notice a prominent maximum in the distribution of infarctions one day after the Ap maximum. We conclude that the acute myocardial infarctions morbidity seems to be responding to a threshold level of Ap between 20 - 50 g.