Heart attack risk increases in winter

Providing information about the effects of cold weather on heart health, Cardiology Specialist Dr. Fatih Çam stated, “Humans are warm-blooded creatures, so they must maintain their body temperature even when the weather gets cold. For this reason, in cold weather, the body tries to reduce heat loss by constricting blood vessels. In cold weather, the heart's workload increases significantly, and the vessels also narrow. Therefore, one gets tired more quickly and becomes short of breath more easily in cold weather. For the same reason—because the vessels constrict and the amount of blood flowing decreases, and consequently the oxygen within that reduced blood is also lower—extremities such as hands, feet, the tip of the nose, and lips turn blue. In those with heart failure, an increase in heart failure and heart rhythm disorders can occur, and in those with narrowing of the coronary arteries, chest pain and even heart attacks can emerge. Moreover, the faster the encounter with cold, the more severe the reaction. For example, these reactions develop very rapidly in those who fall into cold or icy water.”

HEART ATTACK RISK INCREASES IN WINTER

Dr. Fatih Çam listed the reasons for the increased risk of heart attack in winter as follows:

“Constriction of vessels, rise in blood pressure, increase in the amount of blood returning to the heart, and a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood. In the United States and Canada, where everyone is required to clear the snow from the sidewalk in front of their house, heart attacks and sudden deaths occurring during snow shoveling in winter are very common. Even if it does not lead to a heart attack, encountering sudden cold or walking against a cold wind can cause severe chest pain in patients with coronary artery disease. Winter is a significant source of decreased resistance. For this reason, heart patients should get a flu shot every year and a pneumonia vaccine every five years. Flu and similar cold conditions, which are a cause of mild malaise in healthy individuals, are among the most important causes of death for heart patients. Therefore, vaccinations should not be neglected.”