HYDERABAD, Jan 21: People who suffer from cardiac problems must adopt precautionary measures and strictly follow their doctors’ advice during winters as the season, particularly the period from December to February, exposes them to higher risk of having heart attacks.

The heart has to work harder during winters when the blood vessels constrict to help the body maintain heat and people contract respiratory diseases such as flu and asthma increasing burden on heart, said eminent cardiologist and professor of the Cardiology Department of the ISRA University Hospital Dr. Feroz Memon on Monday.

He said that many patients tended to consume many things including alcohol in order to keep warm in winter, which in turn put pressure on their heart. He informed that high rates of influenza and other respiratory diseases in winter also played a major role in instigating heart attacks because infections caused inflammation, which often led to heart attacks.

He said that the role of inflammation in heart attack was reflected by blood levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, which was associated with an increased risk of heart attack.

Heart disease and stroke could be prevented if the main risk factors including high blood pressure, high level of cholesterol and blood glucose, tobacco use, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, overweight and obesity and physical inactivity were reduced, he said.

Dr. Feroze stressed maximum physical activities, which he said were vital for a healthy heart as lack of such activities could contribute to obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

Regular physical activities might help the patients to slow down narrowing of arteries and prompted the brain to encourage the body to use up extra fats, he said.

Physical workouts reduced high blood pressure, improved good cholesterol level particularly HDL cholesterol and maintained normal glucose level, he said.

He warned that use of tobacco was a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases as it caused one fifth of cardiovascular diseases worldwide.

He said that smoking could easily be left with the support of family members, friends and community and advised medication for lowering cholesterol level in blood and a daily low dose of aspirin as it reduced the risk of blood clots forming in the vessels, which caused stroke and heart attacks. A healthy diet also provided health benefits in different ways, he added.—APP