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A study on the various types of arrhythmias in relation to the polarity reversal of the solar magnetic field

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Abstract

Over the last few years, various researches have reached the conclusion that cosmic ray variations and geomagnetic disturbances are related to the condition of the human physiological state. In this study, medical data concerning the number of incidents of different types of cardiac arrhythmias for the time period 1983–1992, which refer to 1902 patients in Tbilisi, Georgia, were used. The smoothing method and the Pearson r-coefficients were used to examine the possible effect of different solar and geomagnetic activity parameters and cosmic ray intensity variations on the different types of arrhythmias. The time interval under examination was separated into two different time periods, which coincided with the polarity reversal of the solar magnetic field occurred in the years 1989–1990, and as a result, a different behavior of all the above-mentioned parameters as well as of the different types of arrhythmias was noticed during the two time intervals. In addition, changing of polarity sign of the solar magnetic field was found to affect the sign of correlation between the incidence of arrhythmias and the aforementioned parameters. The primary and secondary maxima observed in the solar parameters during the solar cycle 22, also appeared in several types of arrhythmias with a time lag of about 5 months.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the cosmic ray data providers of the High Resolution Neutron Monitor Database (NMDB) and those ones of the solar and interplanetary data. The authors from the University of Athens thank the Special Research Account for supporting the Cosmic Ray Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear and Particle Physics Section, Physics Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    E. Giannaropoulou, M. Papailiou, H. Mavromichalaki & P. Preka-Papadema

  2. E. Kharadze Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

    M. Gigolashvili

  3. Helio-Magneto-Cardiological Scientific and Practical Center, Tbilisi, Georgia

    L. Tvildiani & K. Janashia

  4. General Hospital of Athens ‘EVAGELISMOS’, Intensive Care Unit, Athens, Greece

    Th. Papadima

Authors
  1. E. Giannaropoulou
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  2. M. Papailiou
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  3. H. Mavromichalaki
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  4. M. Gigolashvili
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  5. L. Tvildiani
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  6. K. Janashia
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  7. P. Preka-Papadema
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  8. Th. Papadima
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Correspondence to H. Mavromichalaki.

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Giannaropoulou, E., Papailiou, M., Mavromichalaki, H. et al. A study on the various types of arrhythmias in relation to the polarity reversal of the solar magnetic field. Nat Hazards 70, 1575–1587 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0890-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0890-9

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