Impact of the lunar cycle on the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: myth or reality?

Daniel Lahner; Franz Marhold; Andreas Gruber; Wolfgang Schramm

doi:10.1016/j.clineuro.2008.11.009

Impact of the lunar cycle on the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: myth or reality?

Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2009 May;111(4):352-3. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2008.11.009. Epub 2008 Dec 20.

Authors

Daniel Lahner¹, Franz Marhold, Andreas Gruber, Wolfgang Schramm

Affiliation

¹ Department of Anaesthesia, General Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Management, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerguertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. daniel.lahner@meduniwien.ac.at

PMID: 19101078
DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2008.11.009

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the impact of the lunar cycle on the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhages.

Methods: We retrospectively identified all patients admitted to the department of neurosurgery during 1992 and 2004 suffering from aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. The onset of bleeding was compared with the lunar phase.

Results: We did not observe any significant impact of the lunar cycle on the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage in 717 consecutive patients (p=0.84).

Conclusion: The impact of the lunar cycle on aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage is a myth rather than reality.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Austria / epidemiology
Female
Folklore*
Humans
Incidence
Intracranial Aneurysm / complications*
Intracranial Aneurysm / epidemiology*
Male
Middle Aged
Moon*
Retrospective Studies
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / epidemiology*
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / etiology*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed