Seasonal variation of cerebral hemorrhage in 236 consecutive cases in Brussels.

Abstract

Seasonal variation in the incidence of cerebral hemorrhage has been previously demonstrated. In this study, we sought to identify the climatological data best correlated with this seasonal variation. In a retrospectively studied sequential series of 236 patients with nontraumatic cerebral hemorrhage observed in Brussels over a period of 8 years, we cumulatively grouped the dates of stroke occurrence into a single calendar year. We found marked seasonal variation in incidence, with the highest value (23%) observed in November-December and the lowest (10%) in July-August. Seasonal variations in incidence of cerebral hemorrhage were shown to be correlated not only with the inverse of ambient temperature, but also with the inverse of hours of sunshine and with ambient humidity. We found no difference between hypertensive and normotensive patients. Our study fails to bear out the hypothesis that the higher incidence of cerebral hemorrhage in late autumn and winter is due to the influence of low ambient temperature on blood pressure.