Cold, windy days can tire the heart

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) – A new study suggests that autumn winds and cold winter temperatures can make you more vulnerable to heart problems.

The researchers found "an increase in heart attacks due to low temperatures, high winds, low sunlight and low air pressure," said Dr. David Erlinge, lead author, director of the department of cardiology at the University of Ottawa. University of Lund in Sweden.

However, the news is not all disturbing.

The risk of heart attack has decreased by about 3% for every increase in minimum air temperature to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F), the study says.

"It's important to note that the overall effect here is quite modest," said Dr. Usman Baber, an assistant professor of cardiology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

The study involved more than 274,000 Swedes suffering from a heart attack between 1998 and 2013. The researchers looked at the time it was doing the day of each heart attack to determine if certain conditions seemed to be present. make people more prone to heart problems.

The air temperature had the most profound effect on the risk of heart attack, with increased risk when the temperature dropped below 32 ° F. However, the short days of sunshine, high winds and lower atmospheric pressure were also associated with increased risk.

The observed increase in the risk of heart attack could be due to the effects of weather conditions on the circulatory system, explained Erlinge.

"We know that cold and wind cause the body to contract the blood vessels of the skin to preserve temperature and energy," Erlinge said. "This causes the heart to pumping against higher resistance, which increases the stress on the heart and can trigger a heart attack."

However, the study can not prove a cause-and-effect relationship and Baber noted that many other factors could also play.

"I suspect that the foundation of this observed association will be more complex than that," said Baber. "Physiology can play a role, but other factors, such as patient behavior that varies with the weather, may play a role."

"When time changes, people can behave differently," continued Baber. "Maybe they're more stressed.Stress plays a major role in the risk of heart attack.Maybe people do not take their meds as often."

The reduction of physical activity, dietary changes and depression are other behavioral factors that may affect the risk of seasonal heart attack, the researchers added.

People may also be more prone to respiratory infections and influenza during this type of weather, and these diseases are known risk factors for heart attack. For example, it has been shown that a respiratory infection can multiply by six the risk of heart attack, the researchers noted.

If you're worried about your heart health, take the time to put on a sweater or jacket during sunny days, or get stuck when the mercury dives deeply, said Erlinge.

"If you are at high risk, you may avoid going out in very cold and windy weather," added Erlinge.

The study was published on October 24 in the journal JAMA Cardiology.

More information

The American Heart Association has more on cold and heart disease.