By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News

Sure the moon has been linked to the tides, but a new study says it’s also linked to our hearts.

New research from Rhode Island Hospital found that a certain type of heart surgery – acute aortic dissection, for those wondering – is affected by the moon.

Doctors found that the odds of patient death were reduced when the surgery was performed during a waning full moon. Perform the same surgery during a full moon, and the patient’s length of stay decreases.

“While there has been previous research of seasonal impacts on cardiovascular disease, there has not been any data about the effect of the lunar cycles on cardiac cases, until now,” said senior author Frank Sellke, M.D., chief of cardiothoracic surgery and co-director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals.  

The study collected data from 210 patients at Rhode Island and Miriam Hospitals who underwent the specific type of cardiac surgery from 1996 to 2011.

The study says that although the gravitational force exerted by the moon on oceans is powerful enough to control the tides, the moon’s effects on human beings is estimated to be rather small , and it’s not yet well understood.

The research says other studies have linked higher mortality rates with the ï¬Ârst and last lunar quarters, while data from 1999 to 2001 showed an increased rate of coronary events on new moon days.

Selke said it’s not always possible to plan cardiac surgeries around the phases of the moon, but it does help doctors understand how medical procedures relate to lunar cycles.

“Better understanding the effects of the environment – including seasonal and lunar cycles – on our health can help us to better understand these rhythms, and ultimately provide better care for our patients,” he said.  

The study was not funded.