The relationship between apparent temperature and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality was studied in Rasht, Iran, from 2005 to 2014. The effects of apparent temperature on CVD mortality were investigated using the distributed lag nonlinear model. Data on all types of cardiovascular mortality cases according to the International Classification of Diseases were collected from the only cardiovascular hospital in Rasht, and the meteorological variables were obtained from Rasht Meteorological Center during the period of study. Our findings showed that low temperatures had significant impacts on CVD mortality, and a reverse J-shaped temperature-mortality relationship was found. Moreover, immediate effects of hot temperatures on CVD mortality with the strongest effects on the same day but delayed effects of cold temperature was observed. This study showed that exposure to both hot and cold apparent temperatures was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in Rasht.
Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; climate change; mortality; temperature.