CLIMATE AS A POTENTIAL FACTOR IN THE ETIOLOGY OF EXOPHTHALMIC GOITER AND THE OTHER METABOLIC DISEASES

Abstract

Maps of N. America are presented showing the relative distribution of deaths from exophthalmic goiter, diabetes and pernicious anemia in relation to the total number of deaths. The climate of the continent is also considered with special reference to storm areas and frequencies and to the day-to-day variability of temp. From such maps it is observed that these 3 diseases are most severe in 2 areas, one centering around the Great Lakes, and the other covering the Pacific Northwest from San Francisco northward. The death rates in these regions are very much higher for these diseases than in the southern states or in the far north. Climate maps show that the Great Lakes area has the highest storm frequency in the northern hemisphere and great temp. variability as compared to the south. The Pacific coast, from San Francisco northward, shows a low variability of temp. and few storms, but remains at all seasons near the optimum for human activity. This finding of greatest metabolic break-down in the two areas where the climatic drive is exerting the greatest stimulation on humanity leads to the assumption of a causal relationship. Although infections may frequently act as the immediately exciting force to initiate these diseases, it would seem that climatic stimulation is the basic factor which determines the susceptibility of the population. Excessive stimulation brings a small number of the people near the limits of their metabolic capacity so that they are more sensitive to the results of infection.