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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
According to a recent study, extreme temperatures are more conducive to heart attacks. Why and how to reduce the risk? The answers of Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
Could several degrees higher in the heart of summer be “responsible” for fatal heart attacks? The idea is anxiety-provoking, but unfortunately founded.
Extreme heat associated with heart attacks
A Chinese study published on July 24 examined more than 202,000 heart attack deaths in China’s Jiangsu province between 2015 and 2020, and found a significantly higher risk of someone dying from a heart attack if temperatures are high.
And this risk is more accentuated by pollution. The heat wave would therefore be a particularly risky period… and should remain so in the future: the months of June and July 2023 were the hottest on record.
Additional cardiac stress in case of high heat
For Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo, the link between heat and heart attack is not new and is due to cardiac stress:
“On a daily basis, the human body must maintain a constant temperature. Faced with high heat, it will put in place strategies to cool itself (sweating, vasodilation, etc.) which will lead to an increase in cardiac work. heart has to work faster, harder, to maintain blood flow to vital organs. This extra workload puts real stress on the heart and therefore increases the risk of cardiovascular events.”
A stress that will particularly affect people who have cardiovascular risk factors and those who are already on treatments for the heart, which prevent acceleration such as beta-blockers or hypertension. But they are not the only ones concerned, as Dr. Kierzek points out:
“People who do (high cardiac output) physical activities will also face this problem. In the heat, you get dehydrated quickly and that requires quickly rehydrating the body to maintain the temperature”.
Certain measures can be considered to reduce cardiac risks: “It is important to take into account the stress induced by high temperatures and to plan your activities in advance to minimize their effects on heart health” say the authors of the study.
Thus, as Dr. Kierzek points out, the first habit to keep is good hydration throughout the day. But other common sense measures should be followed:
- Avoid overheating by staying in the shade, indoors or in cool, air-conditioned or ventilated places;
- Wear loose and light clothing;
- Avoid peaks of heat, generally between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for outings;
- Modify your training, in case of physical exercise by reducing the distance, frequency or speed;
- Listen to your body: in case of weakness, dizziness that persists or worsens, consult a doctor.
Changes that should be adapted to the weather in your place of residence, and to the forecasts to come for the next few days which announce rising temperatures.