Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea.
Depress Anxiety. 2020 Nov;37(11):1099-1107. doi: 10.1002/da.23019. Epub 2020 Apr 17.
Panic disorder is a common anxiety disorder affecting up to 5% of the population. Although its pathogenesis is unclear, evidence about its association with ambient temperature is limited. We aimed to investigate the association between short-term exposure to increased ambient temperature and exacerbation of panic attacks requiring emergency department visits.
From the national emergency database of South Korea, we identified 1,926 patients who presented with panic attacks at the emergency department in Seoul from 2008 to 2014. Using a time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression analysis, we compared ambient temperature levels on emergency department visits and correspondingly matched-control days.
Increased ambient temperature levels were significantly associated with panic attacks. The risk of a panic attack increased by 2.2% (95% confidence interval, 0.7-3.8%) per every 1°C increase in temperature. This association was significant after adjusting for air pollutants.
Our results provide new evidence that short-term exposure to increased ambient temperature may increase the risk of exacerbation of panic attacks. These findings may provide a basis for further research to establish the association between panic attacks and ambient temperature, thus establishing preventive measures for panic attacks.
惊恐障碍是一种常见的焦虑障碍，影响着多达 5%的人口。尽管其发病机制尚不清楚，但有关其与环境温度关联的证据有限。我们旨在调查短期暴露于升高的环境温度与急诊就诊的惊恐发作恶化之间的关联。
我们从韩国国家急诊数据库中确定了 1926 名于 2008 年至 2014 年期间在首尔急诊科就诊的惊恐发作患者。使用时间分层病例交叉设计和条件逻辑回归分析，我们比较了急诊就诊日和相应匹配对照日的环境温度水平。
升高的环境温度水平与惊恐发作显著相关。温度每升高 1°C，惊恐发作的风险增加 2.2%（95%置信区间，0.7-3.8%）。在调整了空气污染物后，这种关联仍然显著。
我们的研究结果提供了新的证据，表明短期暴露于升高的环境温度可能会增加惊恐发作恶化的风险。这些发现可能为进一步研究惊恐发作与环境温度之间的关联提供基础，从而为惊恐发作制定预防措施。
