Heart attacks more common in cold weather, say researchers

Heart attacks are more common during cold weather, with a study finding they increased “dramatically” when the temperature dropped below 15C (59F).

Researchers said people at high risk of a heart attack should be put on alert for symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath when the temperature drops, suggesting they get sent smartphone messages warning them to be extra vigilant.

Those likely to be at risk include people who have previously had a heart attack, the elderly, smokers or those with diabetes, high blood pressure, or who are obese.

The study is being presented at the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology (APSC) Congress 2018 in Taipei and used the data of nearly one million patients.

The team looked at whether patients were more likely to have experienced certain climate factors before their heart attack than the participants who did not have a heart attack.

They found that lower temperature, temperature fluctuations and stronger wind separately increased the risk of having a heart attack the following day.

When the lowest temperature of the day was between 15 and 20C (68F) the relative incidence of a heart attack occurring increased by 0.45% with each one degree of temperature drop.

Professor Ian Graham, of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), said: “Cold weather is an important environmental trigger for heart attack.

“Given that the risk is predictable, health authorities should allocate more resources for treating heart attack victims during cold weather.”