Cold Weather Increases Risk of Heart Attacks

APP

Islamabad: With the ongoing winter chill, cardiac experts have raised alarms, warning that falling temperatures pose a significant threat to heart health, especially for individuals with pre-existing conditions.

Cold weather causes arteries and blood vessels to constrict, increasing the risk of heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes.

In an exclusive interview with a private news channel, experts emphasized the urgent need for public awareness about the heightened cardiovascular risks during winter, highlighting the importance of preventive measures to protect heart health.

Dr Javed Sayal, Executive Director at NICVD Hospital Karachi, recommended keeping regular checks on blood pressure during winter due to the increased risk of heart attacks.

He stressed the importance of maintaining healthy levels and adopting a well-balanced, low-salt diet, as excessive salt consumption can overburden the heart.

Dr Sayal also emphasized the need to stay warm and manage stress effectively to safeguard heart health during colder months.

He raised concerns about the rising number of heart attack cases in Karachi, with approximately 700 people being rushed to the hospital daily. Alarmingly, 30-40% of these patients are elderly, primarily due to factors like hypertension, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet, and the harsh winter conditions.

Dr Khalid Naseeb, a renowned cardiologist, stressed the importance of educating children and adolescents about the dangers of an unhealthy lifestyle.

He warned that physical inactivity and poor dietary habits are contributing to an increase in early-onset diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, which significantly raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and set the stage for long-term health complications.

Dr Naseeb also highlighted the critical need to recognize the warning signs of a heart attack. Early identification can be life-saving, and he listed common symptoms to watch for, including severe chest pain, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, numbness or tingling sensations in the jaw, back, neck, or shoulders, cold sweats, heartburn-like sensations, and sudden, unexplained fatigue.