Effects of earthquakes on health

Earthquake causes injury and mortality, short-term physical effects, long-term physical effects, and psychosocial effects. Previous studies indicate that age, gender, and types of building are the major determinants of injury and mortality in an earthquake. The short-term physical effects of earthquakes include sudden death and cardiovascular diseases. The correlation of earthquakes and morbidity, mortality, and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases have been reported. Longitudinal studies suggest that heart rate and uric acid are correlated with subjects' earthquake experiences. An Armenian cohort study reports the increase of deaths from all causes and from heart disease within six months of an earthquake. Morbidity of high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis also increases after the earthquake. The psychosocial effects of earthquakes include post-traumatic stress disorder, general psychological morbidity, and social network disturbances.