Colder weather impacts heart health more, new study shows

FOX 2 - When the FOX 2 weather authority is bringing you the forecast, think about this - the temperature can really impact your risk for heart issues.

The backstory:

A new study finds that as that temp drops it can be rough on our heart. New data shows colder temps are responsible for more deaths when it comes to heart attack and strokes as compared with warmer weather.

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, says people at a greater risk for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular issues when temperatures drop below 74 degrees.

The study finds that even in routine cold weather, vulnerable patients are at greater cardiovascular risk. 
  
FOX 2 spoke with Henry Ford Health Cardiologist Shukri David about how the cold weather impacts your heart.

"When you have extreme cold, your arteries goes into vasospasm and your heart pumps harder it gets resistance," said Dr. David. "It can also lead to a rupture in the plaque that can cause a heart attack."

David says he has seen extreme temperatures on both ends impact patients.

That's why you have to make sure you're helping your body endure whatever the weather is -- cold or hot, and recognize how much of a role it plays. 

"These extreme changes from 95 down to 50 degrees. One day you are in T-shirt, and the next day you are bundled in a sweater and coat," he said. "These extreme shifts in weather, we see an increase in cardiac events like heart attack or stroke."

A temperature of 74 is considered the safest for those with heart disease that is when the risk is lower. So many of us focus on heart health in the heat, but focusing on it during winter is just as important.