'Be smart': doctor warns about increased risk of heart attacks from shovelling

As New Brunswickers continue to dig out from Monday's blizzard and with more snow falling today,a Saint John family doctor is citing a new study that suggests shovelling snow may increase the risk of heart attacks.

Shovelling snow has long been suspected of straining the heart, based on anecdotal evidence, said Dr. Mike Simon.

Doctors who work shifts in emergency rooms after a snowstormknow they're going to see patients with chest pains and heartattacks, he said.

"It's just a well understood phenomena."

Some people are 'sitting ducks'

"Your muscles soak up so much glucose and oxygen, your heart's got to really pick up the pace if you will, to get more supply to your muscles when you use them...it's obviously a more stressful environment for the heart," Simon explained.

"You throw that in with cold air, which makes your blood vessels constrictless of a highway to bring that oxygen and glucose to your muscles, you throw in the fact that some people are predisposed, i.e. they have narrowed arteries to begin with because of high cholesterol, diabetes, all that stuff, so they're a sitting duck, waiting for that to happen."

Now, a new Quebecbased study backs up the connection, said Simon.

Researchers analyzed data on 128,000 hospital admissions from heart attack, or myocardial infarction,in Quebec between 1981 and2014, which includedmore than 65,000 deaths.

They zeroedin on the time period fromNovember to Apriland crossreferenced the data with weather information for the region studied,including daily snowfall amounts and daily temperatures, he said.

The researchers found heavy snowfalls of 20 centimetres or more were associated with a16 per cent relative increase in the chance of being admitted to hospital and a 34 per cent relative increase in risk of death in men, compared with no snowfall.

"Men are more likely to shovel [than women], hence you have fatal heart attacks," explained Simon.

The studyalso found the chance of suffering a fatal heart attack occurred closer to the snow day, with onethird occurring the day after the snowfall, he said.

Take breaks

Environment Canada has issued weather warnings for Wednesday night and Thursday, with 15 to 30 centimetres of snow expected in southern, central and eastern areas of the province.

"There's no doubt people are going to die shovelling snow," said Simon.

He cautions againstoverexertion.

"The mentalitywe have, especially around here is you want to finish the job, so you don't stop for breaks," he said.

"You're sweating, you're overheated, the cold air is making your vessels constrict, you push through it."

But "you've got to be smart," said Simon.

People should take breaks and watch for the signs of a heart attack, such as chest pain, shortness of breath and sweating, he said.

Anyone who has cardiac problemsshould consider hiring someone to shovelor plow for them, he added.