And a cold leaves you 13 times more likely to have heart attack

CATCHING a cold raises your risk of suffering a heart attack by 13 times, according to researchers.

And their study says danger from a more severe bug such as the flu, bronchitis or pneumonia is even greater – increasing the likelihood 17-fold.

Professor Geoffrey Tofler, a cardiologist from Sydney University, said the infections can damage blood vessels, which may lead to a clot that cuts off blood supply to the heart.

The rise in risk peaks in the first seven days of being struck down by an infection – but patients remain endangered for a full month, say scientists.

The study – published in the Internal Medicine Journal – could explain why more people die from heart disease in winter. The increase in deaths from cardiovascular illness in cold periods was previously blamed on people doing physical tasks, such as shovelling snow.

Experts said the findings highlight the importance of preventing winter bugs by having the flu jab.