Why do people have more heart problems in the winter?

There is an increase in cases of heart attacks in winter as the heart has to work harder to pump the same amount of blood as a result of the rise in blood pressure and constricted blood vessels.Various health complications are witnessed in winter. Besides an increase in cases of common cold, sore throat and flu, many people suffer from severe health conditions. In fact, cold weather can have inevitable effects on the heart as well.

Since the blood vessels constrict when the temperature drops, it increases the chances of a stroke and heart attack. In winter, due to constriction of the coronary artery, the chest pain becomes worse.

WHY ARE THERE MORE HEART ATTACKS IN WINTER?

According to Dr Hisham Ahamed, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist and Clinical Associate Professor, Cardiology, Amrita Hospital, Kochi, the temperature outside has an opposite relationship to blood pressure.

"The heart has to work harder to pump the same amount of blood during the winter as a result of the rise in blood pressure. Since our blood arteries are narrow, so in order to keep our body temperature stable, this increases blood flow to the inner organs, which are closer to the heart," Dr Ahamed told India Today.

As a result, blood flow to the skin and limbs, which are further from the heart, decreases."To force through constricted blood vessels, the heart has to work harder to pump blood and sometimes, the blood may be more prone to clotting if this occurs," he added.

Besides this, the blood's platelets adhere to one another more frequently in cooler temperatures. "Cold weather increases the possibility of a potentially fatal blood clot forming inside the body, even though platelets generally clump together to create clots that assist to stop bleeding wounds," said Dr Ahamed.

According to studies, heart attacks and heart disease-related problems are more common in the morning hours during the winter. "Recent evidence has suggested that this typically results from a spike in blood pressure in the morning. Additionally, there is an imbalance in sympathetic hormones in the morning, which increases your risk," added Dr Ahamed.

Due to hormonal changes, there is a rise in the levels of clotting factors, particularly fibrinogen. "In wintertime, the sympathetic tone causes blood vessels to constrict. The body's regulatory system and the sympathetic nervous system keep blood pressure and heart rate in check. Besides this, winter morning heart attacks could happen from the plaques rupturing due to the rise in blood pressure," he said.

For someone who is more likely to have a heart attack due to inactivity in winter and weight gain, the chances of the problem increases. People even end up eating more food, which causes weight gain and cholesterol. Another factor that affects the heart is low exposure to vitamin D. Several studies have shown the connection between low vitamin D levels and cardiovascular health. Low intake of vitamin D has been directly linked to heart problems. Read More On..