While you may be more likely to catch a cold or the flu during the winter, did you know that heart attacks are also more common during the winter months? Hartford HealthCare’s Jocelyn Maminta spoke with cardiologist Dr. Anja Wagner of the Heart & Vascular Institute at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport about heart safety during the coldest months of the year.
Studies have shown that Americans have a 30 percent higher chance of having a heart attack during the cold months. “There are several theories why that is, but it is mostly because in the cold, our arteries constrict which increases our heart rate, that increases our blood pressure, exposing us to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke,” Dr. Wagner said. >> Read more
