The Surprising Age When Shoveling Snow Turns Risky for Your Heart
AOL.com • • general
Key Points:
- A Canadian study over two decades found that snowstorms increase the risk of sudden heart attacks by 16% and deaths by 34% in middle-aged men, likely due to their tendency to shovel snow during heavy storms.
- Shoveling snow is particularly dangerous because it involves lifting heavy, wet snow with the upper body in cold conditions, causing significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure, and constriction of blood vessels.
- Men over age 45 with known or hidden heart disease, sedentary lifestyles, or risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure are especially vulnerable to heart attacks while shoveling snow.
- Safer alternatives include paying others to shovel, pushing snow instead of lifting, dressing warmly, taking breaks, avoiding
