Cold weather CAN kill! You’re ‘more likely to suffer a heart attack when temperatures dip below zero’
PEOPLE exposed to cold weather are more likely to suffer a heart attack, new research suggests.
Researchers from Sweden followed 280,000 patients for 16 years to investigate the association between heart attacks and weather conditions such as air temperature, amount of sunshine, rain and air pressure.
Lead author Dr Moman Mohammad said: "There is seasonal variation in the occurrence of heart attack, with incidence declining in summer and peaking in winter.
"It is unclear whether this is due to colder temperatures or behavioural changes."
Led by Prof David Erlinge from Lund University researchers studied the exact weather conditions at the time patients had a heart attack.
During the study there were 280,873 heart attacks recorded.
Researchers discovered that the average number of heart attacks per day was significantly higher when the weather as cold compared to when the weather was warm.
On a day-to-day basis it translated to four more heart attacks per day when they average temperature was below zero.
The occurrence of heart attacks also increased on windy days when the amount of sunshine seen during the day was minimal.
It is thought the risk of heart attacks is higher in cold weather because the body responds to feeling chilly by restricting superficial blood vessels.
This decreases how warm the skin is and increases blood flow through the arteries.
The body also begins to shiver and your heart rate increases to keep you warm.
But these responses can add extra stress on your heart.
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Dr Mohammad said: "Our results consistently showed a higher occurrence of heart attacks in sub-zero temperatures.
"The findings were the same across a large range of patient subgroups, and at national as well as regional levels, suggesting that air temperature is a trigger for heart attack.
"In the majority of healthy people these mechanisms are well tolerated.
"But in people with atherosclerotic plaques in their coronary arteries they may trigger a heart attack."
Dr Mohammad said other factors such as the flu, respiratory tract infections are also known risk factors for heart attacks.
He added: "In addition, seasonal-dependent behaviours such as reduced physical activity and dietary changes could play a role in the increased occurrence of heart attack during colder weather."
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