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Purpose: To evaluate renal colic frequency in different seasons and around full moon.
Materials and Methods: A total of 1481 patients with renal colic were studied retrospectively addressing days of a month both in solar and lunar calendar.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 57 ± 13 years. Total admissions in summer was 613; of which 288 (41%), 199 (39%), and 126 (43%) were in years 2002, 2003, and 2004, respectively. The highest frequencies in solar calendar were on days 2 (56), 20 (63), and 27 (59) and the lowest were on days 6 (36), 22 (38), 26 (34), and 31 (31). We did not find any statistically significant association according to solar calendar (P = .3). In lunar calendar, most of the admissions were on day 15 (69) and the lowest rates were on days 1 (25) and 30 (26), which was statistically significant (P = .04).
Conclusion: Renal colic frequency is not correlated with solar calendar, but its highest frequency in lunar calendar is in the middle of the month period. Although we found a correlation between full moon effect and renal tide, but this is a new window for further studies.
Urol J. 2011;8:137-40.
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Keywords: nephrolithiasis, renal colic, moon
INTRODUCTION
Human and animals physiology and behavior are subject to seasonal, lunar, and circadian rhythms. Although the seasonal and circadian rhythms have been fairly welldescribed, little is known about the effects of the lunar cycle.(1)
It has been shown that hospital and emergency unit admissions are correlated with the moon phases.(2) An increased incidence of acute coronary events(3) as well as intracranial aneurysm rupture and subarachnoid hemorrhage have been reported on new moon days.(4) In a review on patients admitted for seizure occurrence to an emergency unit, a significant clustering of seizures was observed around the full-moon period, supporting the ancient belief of periodic increased seizure frequency during full-moon days.(5) Roman and colleagues suggested an increase in the number of admissions due to gastrointestinal hemorrhage during the full moon, especially in men experiencing variceal hemorrhage.(6) A seasonal variation in the onset of appendicitis was also reported.(7) Takemura and associates suggested the direct influence of...