Additionally, the winter diet tends to be less rich in fresh fruits and vegetables in favor of fats, alcohol, seasonal sweets and salty pickles, a fact that limits the intake of vitamins and minerals necessary for a good functioning of the immune system. Learn more about the medical conditions that can appear due to low immunity
During the winter, people with cardiovascular problems they are more frequently affected by low ambient temperatures, fully feeling the effects of the cold on the body. Atherosclerotic disease, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, chronic arterial hypertension and chronic venous disease represent some of the cardiovascular pathologies that can be exacerbated during the cold season. The people most exposed to the risk of cardiac decompensation during the cold season are hypertensives and patients with stable angina or previous myocardial infarction.
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How do low temperatures affect the cardiovascular system?
The low temperatures and the effort required to carry out different types of activities specific to winter (skiing, skating, clearing snow, walking through the snow) determine the appearance of physiological changes at the systemic circulation level, due to the increased energy needs of the striated muscles. In this way, an increase in heart rate is recorded to ensure the muscles the necessary nutrients and oxygen during the effort and to maintain a constant body temperature.
Hypertension associated with the cold season it appears as a result of the interaction between low temperature, reduced level of physical activity, seasonal variations of vitamin D and cholesterol and increased synthesis of noradrenaline, catecholamines and vasopressin.
For people with advanced atherosclerotic disease, this overload of the myocardium and exposure to low temperatures can generate vasospasm in the coronary arteries manifested by angina pectoris. In severe cases of obstruction of the coronary arteries with lipid material, vasospasm is generated additional narrowing of the arteries and determine the onset of clinical manifestations specific to myocardial infarction.
Occasional alcohol consumption to “warm up the body” before exposure to cold causes temporary vasodilation, followed by loss of body heat and increased heart rate to maintain a constant core temperature. Thus, a vicious circle of compensatory physiological mechanisms with limited effectiveness appears that rapidly exhausts the body’s energy resources, increasing the risk of hypothermia and the occurrence of acute cardiovascular events.
The winter period can determine the installation of a prothrombotic status which, associated with the accelerated synthesis of catecholamines through the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system during exposure to cold and hypertension, increases the risk of acute thrombosis.
Cerebral hemorrhages that occur during the cold season are due to the blood pressure variations specific to this period and the vasoconstriction generated by exposure to low temperatures.
Risks for patients with cardiovascular diseases in the cold season
The main cardiovascular complications caused by the low temperatures in the cold season are represented by exacerbation of arterial hypertension and acute myocardial infarction. The cold favors the occurrence of coronary vasospasm with an increase in the frequency of angina attacks and the risk of acute cardiac ischemia.
People suffering from peripheral circulatory insufficiency (thrombangitis obliterans, atherosclerotic arteriopathy at the level of the lower limbs) can notice an exacerbation of the clinical symptoms during exposure to the cold. This is manifested by the accentuation and extension of paresthesias at the level of the extremities, which can lead, in severe cases, to frostbite and devitalization of tissues.
Limiting physical activity during the cold season contributes to the reduction of blood flow in the lower limbs and increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis in people predisposed to this type of circulatory pathology (venous valvular incompetence, existing in the antecedent of an episode of thrombophlebitis).
Prevention in patients with cardiovascular diseases in the cold season
Patients with pathologies of the cardiovascular system can prevent complications during the cold season by adopting some general lifestyle measures that include:
- Limiting alcohol consumption, especially before exposure to the cold
- Reducing the consumption of pickles and salty foods to prevent the appearance of hypertensive boils
- Quitting smoking because smoking accentuates the vasoconstriction generated by cold favoring the occurrence of acute cardiac ischemia and limiting exposure to cigarette smoke (passive smoking)
- Maintaining a degree of effort that corresponds to individual physical capabilities
- Practicing regular physical exercises in the comfort of your home to stimulate peripheral blood circulation and prevent thrombosis in the lower limbs.
- The adoption of appropriate clothing, “in layers”, to ensure the maintenance of a constant body temperature during the activities carried out outside the home during the winter. It is recommended to avoid clothing that is tight on the body that prevents the proper blood circulation at the peripheral level.
- Compliance with the treatment schemes prescribed by the cardiologist and the lifestyle recommendations provided by him.
The implementation of a healthy and active lifestyle with the avoidance of food excesses, quitting smoking, anti-influenza and anti-pneumococcal vaccination are some of the recommendations addressed to the general population in the cold season to support the good functioning of the immune system and the occurrence of complications in the context of pre-existing cardiovascular pathologies.
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2023-12-29 23:04:03
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