A study by experts from Columbia University has found a correlation between the risk of certain diseases and the birth month. Just a little over 1.7 million patients were analyzed.
The data reveal that 55 types of diseases are very often linked to a particular month of the year. The statistics also show that those born during the month of May are healthiest, while persons born in October fall sick most frequently.
From the medical research carried out so far, there have been interrelationships found between the month of birth and the occurrence of asthma and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
The experts looked at the medical records of patients who were examined in the period 1985 - 2013. In medical science, there are 39 confirmed correlations between the birth month and danger of developing a specific disease.
The latest study confirms 16 new correlations, including 9 heart diseases, which are one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
It becomes clear that persons born between July and October are the ones who end up suffering from asthma most frequently. ADHD is most often seen in those born in November.
For individuals born in May, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and mitral valve disorders are most common. 1 out of every 40 cases of mitral valve disorders is due to seasonal effects resulting from the month of birth.
According to the authors of the study, those born between March and June suffer most frequently from heart-related diseases, when compared to those born in the remaining months of the year.
Head of the study, Nicholas Tatonetti, Professor of the Biomedical Informatics Department at the Columbia University Medical Center, urges us not to forget about the other factors that contribute to diseases, such as genetic predisposition, type of diet and physical activity.
The found links between birth month and diseases would be able to help scientists more easily determine life-threatening risk factors.
