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 ...