iStock/Thinkstock(QUEBEC CITY) — Extreme temperatures have been linked to health complications, and researchers have now found that snowstorms are, too.
According to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers in Quebec analyzed more than 100,000 hospitalizations and nearly 70,000 deaths from heart attacks over a 33-year period, looking for an association with quantity and duration of snowfall the day before the heart attack.
In men, regardless of age or risk factors for heart disease, the more snow and the longer it falls, the higher the risk of hospitalization and/or death from heart attack.
The same risk was not seen in women, researchers believe, because men may be more likely to shovel snow.
These findings suggest that for men already at risk for heart attacks, it may be a better idea to let someone else wield the snow shovel.
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