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The relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in South African urban areas
Studies carried out in a number of countries have revealed statistically significant negative correlations between death rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD) or ischaemic heart disease (IHD), and the hardness of local water supplies, a phenomenon which is known as the "water story". These finding...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Public Health and Family Medicine
2017
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| _version_ | 1867613252215635968 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Derry, Christopher William |
| author2 | Bourne, David |
| author_browse | Bourne, David Derry, Christopher William |
| author_facet | Bourne, David Derry, Christopher William |
| author_sort | Derry, Christopher William |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Studies carried out in a number of countries have revealed statistically significant negative correlations between death rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD) or ischaemic heart disease (IHD), and the hardness of local water supplies, a phenomenon which is known as the "water story". These findings have not, however, been universal and it was decided that a study carried out in South Africa with its high CVD and IHD death rates, might yield meaningful results to contradict or support existing findings. In 1983 a pilot study was thus initiated using a spatial model and a more detailed study began in 1984. This study ultimately involved the correlation of standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for CVD and IHD with total water hardness and with a number of contributory and associated water quality factors. The study supported the hypothesised "water story", showing the existence of negative correlations between standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for both CVD and IHD, and the hardness of potable water, whether measured as total hardness or as its two major contributory cations, calcium and magnesium. The level of statistical significance at which this correlation occurred, however, varied with differences in methodological approach. A "population-unweighted" methodology, which was applied to enable comparison with a number of previously published studies, pointed to potassium (a known hypertension normalisor) in permanently hard water as being an important factor. Problems inherent to each methodological approach have been discussed as has the need for improved data. In this regard, the need for a National water quality data bank has been emphasised. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/25808 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:10.259Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | Department of Public Health and Family Medicine |
| publisherStr | Department of Public Health and Family Medicine |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/25808 The relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in South African urban areas Derry, Christopher William Bourne, David Heart - Diseases - South Africa Studies carried out in a number of countries have revealed statistically significant negative correlations between death rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD) or ischaemic heart disease (IHD), and the hardness of local water supplies, a phenomenon which is known as the "water story". These findings have not, however, been universal and it was decided that a study carried out in South Africa with its high CVD and IHD death rates, might yield meaningful results to contradict or support existing findings. In 1983 a pilot study was thus initiated using a spatial model and a more detailed study began in 1984. This study ultimately involved the correlation of standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for CVD and IHD with total water hardness and with a number of contributory and associated water quality factors. The study supported the hypothesised "water story", showing the existence of negative correlations between standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for both CVD and IHD, and the hardness of potable water, whether measured as total hardness or as its two major contributory cations, calcium and magnesium. The level of statistical significance at which this correlation occurred, however, varied with differences in methodological approach. A "population-unweighted" methodology, which was applied to enable comparison with a number of previously published studies, pointed to potassium (a known hypertension normalisor) in permanently hard water as being an important factor. Problems inherent to each methodological approach have been discussed as has the need for improved data. In this regard, the need for a National water quality data bank has been emphasised. 2017-10-25T09:31:17Z 2017-10-25T09:31:17Z 1987 2017-08-24T11:09:54Z Master Thesis Masters MSc (Med) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25808 eng application/pdf Department of Public Health and Family Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Heart - Diseases - South Africa Derry, Christopher William The relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in South African urban areas |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in South African urban areas |
| title_full | The relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in South African urban areas |
| title_fullStr | The relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in South African urban areas |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in South African urban areas |
| title_short | The relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in South African urban areas |
| title_sort | relationship between the hardness of potable water and cardiovascular and ischaemic heart disease mortality in south african urban areas |
| topic | Heart - Diseases - South Africa |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25808 |
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