A recent observational study published in Nature Communications Medicine by researchers in Brazil reveals that intense solar storms, episodes when Earth’s magnetic field is disturbed, are associated with a surge in heart attack admissions, especially among women. The researchers from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) matched hospital records of myocardial infarction over several years with geomagnetic activity data using the Kp-Index, finding that heart attack rates and in-hospital deaths both increase on days of elevated solar activity. Women in middle and older age groups showed notably higher risk. The discovery brings attention to an unexpected link between space weather and cardiovascular health, suggesting prevention strategies may need to include awareness of external environmental triggers.
Solar storm and heat attack link
Solar storms, or geomagnetic disturbances, occur when bursts of solar activity such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections interact with Earth’s magnetic shield. These events are tracked via indices like the Kp-Index, which classifies days by how disturbed the magnetic field is. The study used this metric to divide days into “quiet,” “moderate,” and “disturbed,” then compared heart attack rates across those categories.The Brazilian study found that while men had more heart attack admissions overall, the relative increase during disturbed geomagnetic days was far more pronounced among women, particularly middle-aged and older women. The causes might include hormonal differences, greater sensitivity of blood vessels to environmental stress, or existing cardiovascular risk profiles that amplify the effects of external triggers.
What the data shows
On disturbed days, admissions for heart attacks among women aged 31-60 and over showed significantly higher numbers compared to “calm” days. In-hospital mortality rates for those same groups also rose. By contrast, men did not show the same distinctive surge when comparing disturbed vs calm days, though they had higher baseline admissions.
Prevention and what individuals can do
While solar activity cannot be controlled, there are practical steps people, especially women with existing heart conditions, can take. These include ensuring medication adherence, avoiding strenuous activity during bouts of high solar activity, and staying alert to symptoms like chest pain or unusual shortness of breath. Health advisories and alerts from space weather centres could be integrated into patient guidance in the future.The study is observational, so it does not prove causation. More work is needed using larger, geographically diverse datasets, better tracking of individual health records including lifestyle and pre-existing conditions, and possibly coupling with local magnetic measurements. Still, the evidence suggests that solar storms may be a silent environmental factor in heart health, and public health strategies may eventually need to account for them.