

CHILLY
TEMPS CAN
BE HARD
ON YOUR
HEART
Winter weather can put a real strain
on your ticker.
Your body has to work extra hard to
stay warm. If those cold temperatures
rob the body of heat, hypothermia
can set in. And when body tem
perature drops too low, a person may
die—usually from heart failure.
Winter conditions often require
physical exertion, such as shoveling
snow or wading through wet, heavy
drifts. That level of activity can be
risky if you’re not in good physical
shape.
If you have heart disease, it pays
to be extra careful when ventur
ing out in frigid weather. Get your
doctor’s advice about what kinds of
18
HEART HEALTH