Heart disease deaths increased significantly on the 4th of every month

Analysis of approximately 200,000 death certificates of Chinese and Japanese Americans from 1973 to 1998 (Phillips et al., BMJ 2001)

Compared to the overall average

+13%

All Chinese and Japanese Americans

Areas with high Asian population density

+27%

California

Comparison control group

No significant increase

White Americans during the same period

Later, counterarguments were raised regarding statistical adjustments, and a follow-up study in Hong Kong re-verified the findings by expanding the scope to the 14th and 24th.