Increased cardiovascular mortality associated with the turn of the millennium in Los Angeles County, California.

This article presents a study investigating the impact of the millennium changeover on cardiovascular mortality in Los Angeles County, California. Cardiac morbidity and mortality, reportedly, had increased during December and January 2000 even in regions with mild climates. Uniquely increased levels of stress, anxiety, and overindulgence at the turn of the millennium led researchers to hypothesize that the millennium changeover was associated with an increased number of deaths attributable to cardiac causes. Therefore, they have conducted the said study based on daily death certificate data and population data from the County's Department of Health Services Data Collection and Analysis Unit. The data were analyzed by deaths attributable to ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and congestive heart disease. Researchers have found a consistent and statistically significant increase in IHD death before New Year's Day 2000 compared with previous years.