Cardiovascular diseases get more deadly in winter

Islamabad : The rate of incidence of cardiovascular diseases gets the highest during the colder months in winter and the chronic patients suffering from any of the CVDs may become more vulnerable to serious and life threatening complications in extreme cold.

Various studies have revealed that the number of deaths due to CVDs also get higher in winter months. The incidence of CVDs and its complications is associated with a number of risk factors including temperature, physical activity, air pollution, infections, and dietary habits however health experts say that the chronic patients may avoid the risk of life threatening complications by following precautionary measures, most needed in colder months.

The CVDs including stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, hypertension, heart failure, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, ventricular arrhythmia, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, aortic dissection and rupture, and atrial fibrillation are considered as more deadly during the winter than in summer.

A number of studies on seasonal variation in heart failure (HF) were carried out in France, Spain, Japan, Scotland, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Turkey, Nigeria, Canada, and USA that revealed that admissions of patients to hospitals increase during the winter season and show decline in summer season.

Exposure to extreme cold increases peripheral vasoconstriction (the narrowing of blood vessels), which may lead to pulmonary oedema (a condition in which the lungs are filled with fluid, also known as lung congestion) as a consequence of left ventricular failure and may also cause abnormal clotting.

Also both the systolic and diastolic mean blood pressures exhibit a seasonal peak during winter and trough in summer among adults, the elderly, and children. The extreme cold has significant effect on blood pressure among both the healthy people and patients suffering from hypertension.

Many health experts in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have expressed to ‘The News’ that exposure to extreme cold increases the chances of vasoconstriction and affects the pumping power of the heart muscle in patients with symptomatic congestive heart failure. The extreme cold also affects the exercise capacity of heart patients that may cause serious complications.

Experts say that in case a chronic patient needs to stay outdoor in extreme cold, in morning, evening or at night, he must cover his nose properly with a warm clothe to avoid inhalation of extreme cold air.

In both sexes, the overall levels of physical activity are significantly higher in summer than in winter and physical inactivity is strongly positively associated with incidence of CVDs and its complications among chronic patients.

Experts say that in colder months of the year, patients suffering from CVDs should follow a proper routine to get themselves physically active like a walk in daytime when the weather is little warmer.

It is important that around the globe, greater number of sudden cardiac deaths is reported in winter than in summer while an increase in mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has also been recorded in the winter months. Experts say that patients suffering from CVDs should keep themselves warm through proper indoor heating and warm clothing and should avoid unaccustomed strenuous exercise in extreme cold weather. The patients must have a healthy diet in winter after getting advice from qualified physician.