The increase in deaths from cardiovascular diseases in extreme temperature events, particularly during cold waves, is a phenomenon already reported in the literature. One of its mechanisms is the increased likelihood of atherosclerotic plaque formation due to higher concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) in the blood at periods of lower temperatures. This study adopts a data science approach to check evidences of this mechanism in the population of Campinas, a city in the southeast region of Brazil, with over 1 million inhabitants. We integrated climate and health datasets and processed over 1,677,424 LDL-C exam results in combination with minimum and maximum daily air temperature data in the city in eleven years (2008-2018). The data were stratified into sex and age groups, and we analyzed the difference in distributions of LDL-C levels for those exposed to cold waves versus control days. Cold waves were defined as at least three consecutive days with minimum and maximum temperatures below their 10th percentiles, considering a 30-year climate normal (1961- 1990). In particular, we analyzed the effect of cold waves on LDL-C levels above reference value. Our analyses identified nine cold waves in the period and statistically relevant effects on exam results. The amount LDL-C exams with levels above reference value was 3.32% greater for women between 20 and 65 years old (lag 2), 9.27%, 7.39% and 4.06% for women over 65 (lags 0, 2 and 7, respectively), and 11.45% for men over 65 (lag 4).
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