Winter is no friend to staying healthy

Researchers at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles analyzed four years’ worth of death certificates (that’s 1.7 million) in seven locations across the country: LA County in California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

What did they find? The death rate—due to heart attacks, heart failure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke—from January to March is up to 36% higher in winter than it is in summer, regardless of the area. In other words, people aren’t dying during the winter from shoveling snow and battling the elements, something most people, including researchers, have always assumed.

So what is to blame? Cold temps might still be a factor, but there’s no single reason why winter sees more deaths. “Respiratory infection or influenza is a significant factor,” says lead study author Bryan Schwartz, MD, a cardiology fellow at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He speculates that fewer hours of daylight could contribute too, since light loss is associated with seasonal affective disorder and depression. And of course, diet and exercise are often the first things to corrode once frost settles in.

Cold weather or not, here are five heart-smart ideas to keep your ticker on target this winter, according to an article in Prevention magazine: http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/why-heart-attacks-increase-winter