Longevity Conferences 2023
January 19, 2023
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Daylight saving time (DST) and mortality patterns in Europe
Researchers examined whether daylight saving time affects European mortality patterns. They compared the daily death rates (DDR) for 2 months prior to and after each DST transition.
In Europe and other regions, a biannual time change policy or daylight saving time (DST) has been adopted with the aim of maximizing sunlight exposure during working hours and saving energy. DST occurs on the last night between Saturday and Sunday in March (spring), when clocks are set forward one hour, and then on the last Sunday of October (Fall), it is returned to standard time. The following study is the largest to investigate whether DST affects European mortality patterns.
The debate on DST’s health effects and its benefits in energy conservation has been a long one, and no agreement has been reached until this day. In 2018, the European Commission proposed to discontinue the DST policy after the failure of the reduction in net energy demand. In 2019, an international panel of officials raised voices to stop DST and replace it with standard time, having significant evidence of its negative effects on public health. In 2021, the European Parliament proposed a plan to end this seasonal change of time. The European Union has been unwilling to make significant changes to this time scheme due to a lack of scientific data on its effects on mortality.
In fact, many studies prove that DST might negatively affect the physiological function of the circadian clock due to a minimal shift in it, which leads to abnormal sleep parameters. In addition, spring changes have been mildly linked to an increased myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, motor vehicle accidents, atrial fibrillation, patient safety-related incidents, and suicides. Because the previous conditions are associated with high mortality rates, it was proposed that DST significantly impacted general mortality patterns.
Levy et al. have collected data on daily death counts, and annual population numbers of 16 EU countries that used the DST policy between 1998 and 2012 to find the relationship between DST transitions and patterns of all-cause mortality. And they divided daily death numbers, which were analyzed using multiple negative binomial regression models by daily population estimates to compare the daily death rates (DDR) for 2 months prior to and after each DST transition. It is important to mention that the researchers adjusted for temporal, meteorological, geographic, and population variables. They also applied third- and second-degree polynomial regression models to investigate mortality rates on Sundays, being a weekly minimum, and Mondays, which is considered weekly maximum during the transition phase.
The results of this article suggest that DST policy is significantly associated with the mortality patterns in the EU, which increase in the fall and decrease in the spring. A septadian pattern in mortality rate was observed where the death rate falls on Sundays and peaks on Mondays throughout the year in individuals aged ≥40 of both sexes.
To conclude, there are many factors that might have contributed to the peaks in mortality on Mondays, such as detection bias, reporting bias and the protective role that social and domestic activities play on the weekends. However, the sample size of the study allowed the examination of daily variations of mortality of different populations up to 2 months before and after DST transitions.
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In Europe and other regions, a biannual time change policy or daylight saving time (DST) has been adopted with the aim of maximizing sunlight exposure during working hours and saving energy. DST occurs on the last night between Saturday and Sunday in March (spring), when clocks are set forward one hour, and then on the last Sunday of October (Fall), it is returned to standard time. The following study is the largest to investigate whether DST affects European mortality patterns.
The debate on DST’s health effects and its benefits in energy conservation has been a long one, and no agreement has been reached until this day. In 2018, the European Commission proposed to discontinue the DST policy after the failure of the reduction in net energy demand. In 2019, an international panel of officials raised voices to stop DST and replace it with standard time, having significant evidence of its negative effects on public health. In 2021, the European Parliament proposed a plan to end this seasonal change of time. The European Union has been unwilling to make significant changes to this time scheme due to a lack of scientific data on its effects on mortality.
In fact, many studies prove that DST might negatively affect the physiological function of the circadian clock due to a minimal shift in it, which leads to abnormal sleep parameters. In addition, spring changes have been mildly linked to an increased myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, motor vehicle accidents, atrial fibrillation, patient safety-related incidents, and suicides. Because the previous conditions are associated with high mortality rates, it was proposed that DST significantly impacted general mortality patterns.
Levy et al. have collected data on daily death counts, and annual population numbers of 16 EU countries that used the DST policy between 1998 and 2012 to find the relationship between DST transitions and patterns of all-cause mortality. And they divided daily death numbers, which were analyzed using multiple negative binomial regression models by daily population estimates to compare the daily death rates (DDR) for 2 months prior to and after each DST transition. It is important to mention that the researchers adjusted for temporal, meteorological, geographic, and population variables. They also applied third- and second-degree polynomial regression models to investigate mortality rates on Sundays, being a weekly minimum, and Mondays, which is considered weekly maximum during the transition phase.
The results of this article suggest that DST policy is significantly associated with the mortality patterns in the EU, which increase in the fall and decrease in the spring. A septadian pattern in mortality rate was observed where the death rate falls on Sundays and peaks on Mondays throughout the year in individuals aged ≥40 of both sexes.
To conclude, there are many factors that might have contributed to the peaks in mortality on Mondays, such as detection bias, reporting bias and the protective role that social and domestic activities play on the weekends. However, the sample size of the study allowed the examination of daily variations of mortality of different populations up to 2 months before and after DST transitions.
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Dr. Ana Baroni MD. Ph.D.
Scientific & Medical Advisor
Quality Garant
Ana has over 20 years of consultancy experience in longevity, regenerative and precision medicine. She has a multifaceted understanding of genomics, molecular biology, clinical biochemistry, nutrition, aging markers, hormones and physical training. This background allows her to bridge the gap between longevity basic sciences and evidence-based real interventions, putting them into the clinic, to enhance the healthy aging of people. She is co-founder of Origen.life, and Longevityzone. Board member at Breath of Health, BioOx and American Board of Clinical Nutrition. She is Director of International Medical Education of the American College of Integrative Medicine, Professor in IL3 Master of Longevity at Barcelona University and Professor of Nutrigenomics in Nutrition Grade in UNIR University.
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