Gout attacks and lunar cycle

The aim was to search for periodical fluctuations in daily occurrence of go ut attacks during the synodic lunar cycle. 126 gout attacks were recorded b etween 1972 and 1994 at known calendar dates. The synodic plexogram, displa ying the number of attacks for each day of the cycle, was processed by cosi nor regression. A pronounced cycling was found, with highest peaks under th e new and full moon (syzygigies). Thus, the maximal occurrence of attacks c oincides with the peaking lunisolar tidal effect. Similar relation of attac ks to synodic moon was seen in bronchial asthma of children, and a reciproc al one in paroxysmal tachyarrhythmia. Differing pathogenetic backgrounds of these diseases substantiate the observed differences in their putative rea ctions on the changing cosmogeophysical environment. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publ ishers Ltd.