A drop in temperature during winter prompts physiological changes, increasing blood pressure and heart rate. To avoid this, people should take their prescriptions, have frequent checkups, and make lifestyle changes including staying active, reducing stress, and eating a heart-healthy diet.
Even if temperatures are dropping in the nation’s capital, cardiologists warned that winter increases the risk of heart attacks. This is crucial for cardiac patients.
Dr. Vikas Chopra, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Primus Super Speciality Hospital, told the media, “As winter approaches, we have seen a significant increase in cardiac patients, averaging 12 to 14 cases weekly. Cold weather increases cardiovascular risks, especially for those with heart disease.”
He said “the drop in temperature prompts physiological changes, leading to increased blood pressure and heart rate, as well as heightened demands on the cardiovascular system” .
I advise everyone, especially those with cardiac issues, to take precautions in winter. Adhering to prescribed medications, regular doctor visits, and lifestyle changes like staying active, reducing stress, and eating a heart-healthy diet are essential “Dr. Chopra noted.
Many countries have shown that winters are dangerous for heart patients and increase cardiovascular fatalities.
The journal Medicine reported in 2021 that US cardiac arrests peak in December and January. A BMJ Open study examined mortality and daily temperatures in Finland and found that “unusually cold days” increased cardiac death by 19%.
“Colder weather thickens the blood, making it more likely to clot,” said CK Birla Hospital, Delhi Consultant, Dept of Cardiology Dr. Sanjeeva Kumar Gupta.
He also noted that sleep disruption and hormone imbalance affect cardiovascular health, adding that shovelling snow, winter sports, and other cold-weather activities might stress the heart.
Associate Director, Cardiology, Max Hospital, Gurugram, Dr. Hemant Gandhi, blamed “factors like reduced physical activity and changes in diet during winter” for heart disease increases. He told IANS that lifestyle and individual health can affect heart health.
Dr. Gupta pointed to “traditional food habits with a higher intake of salt and lipids of animal origin, which can lead to changes in metabolism, and ultimately affect the mechanism of atherogenesis, coagulation, and thrombogenesis” .
“It is also possible that the influence of day duration and lack of sunlight or UV light in this season, stimulate the synthesis of vitamin D3 in the skin and liposoluble cholesterol sulphate whose deficiency can favour atherosclerosis and inflammation, and be the cause of higher incidence and increased mortality during winter,” noted.
The doctors advised patients to control stress and change their lifestyle, especially in winter, by eating a diet high in organic sulphate and vitamin D3 and getting enough sunlight.
Conclusion
Indian winters increase the risk of heart attacks, especially for people with pre-existing heart issues, say cardiologists. Temperature drops raise blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiovascular demands. Dr. Vikas Chopra, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Primus Super Speciality Hospital, stressed the importance of following prescriptions, seeing doctors regularly, and making lifestyle changes like staying active, managing stress, and eating a heart-healthy diet during winter. Many countries have shown that winters are dangerous for heart patients and increase cardiovascular fatalities. Reduced physical activity and food changes contribute to heart problems, according to Dr. Sanjeeva Kumar Gupta, Consultant, Dept. of Cardiology at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi. Hemant Gandhi, Associate Director, Cardiology, Max Hospital, Gurugram, blamed factors like traditional food habits, day duration, lack of sunlight or UV light, and vitamin D3 deficiency for the increased risk of heart problems during winter.
