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Water hardness and cardiovascular mortality rate in Abruzzo, Italy
Insights
This study found that lower water hardness is linked to increased cardiovascular disease mortality in Abruzzo, Italy. The findings confirm an inverse correlation between drinking water hardness and heart disease deaths.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) pose a significant global health burden.
- Previous studies suggest a link between water hardness and CVD mortality.
- Geographical variations in CVD mortality necessitate localized investigations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between water hardness and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (ICD 390-438), ischemic heart diseases (ICD 410-414), and cerebrovascular diseases (ICD 430-438) in Abruzzo, Italy.
- To determine if the previously observed inverse relationship between water hardness and CVD mortality holds true in this specific Italian region.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of mortality data for cardiovascular, ischemic heart, and cerebrovascular diseases from 1969-1978.
- Correlation analysis between mortality rates and drinking water hardness levels in the Abruzzo region.
- Population of Abruzzo, Italy (594,323) was the study cohort.
Main Results:
- An inverse correlation was observed between drinking water hardness and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (ICD 390-438).
- This inverse relationship was also evident for the specific age group of 45-64 years.
- The findings align with previous international research on water hardness and cardiovascular health.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms an inverse correlation between drinking water hardness and cardiovascular disease mortality in Abruzzo, Italy.
- Water hardness may be a contributing environmental factor influencing cardiovascular disease outcomes.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms behind this association.
Abstract:
For the years 1969-1978, the authors studied the pattern of mortality resulting from cardiovascular diseases (390-438 International Classification of Diseases [ICD]), ischemic heart diseases (410-414 ICD), and cerebrovascular diseases (430-438 ICD), and then correlated mortality rate with water hardness. The study took place in the region of Abruzzo, Italy, which has a population of 594,323. An inverse correlation between drinking water hardness and mortality due to cardiovascular disease, already reported by other authors in many countries, is also confirmed in this research for the disease group 390-438 and for the group of individuals aged 45-64 yr.