Cold spells increase risk of cardiovascular event, study finds

Research carried out by University College London and the University of Bristol has indicated that dips in temperature last Winter cause around 6,000 extra deaths as a result of heart attacks and strokes.

The study was conducted on behalf of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and highlighted that a cardiovascular disease event was twice as likely to occur during cold snaps of three days, in comparison to shorter, colder periods.

The research found that every week, 350 people died from a heart attack or stroke between December and March - a 14 per cent rise on the rest of the year.

The BHF has called for care workers to be extra vigilant at identifying vulnerable people who are at increased health risks during the winter months.

Professor Richard Morris, from the University of Bristol, commented: “Significantly we have found that spells of three or four days of unusually cold weather approximately doubled the risk of a major cardiovascular event, although more research is needed to understand why. Some factors made people especially vulnerable such as being a smoker or a heavy drinker.

“Health care workers need to be able to identify vulnerable people living in cold homes, and to be able to refer them to a local support service where their needs for affordable warmth can be addressed.”