Division of Dermatology

Department of Medicine

Cardiologist Sherrie Khadanga, M.D., assistant professor of medicine

(DECEMBER 18, 2023) Cardiologist Sherrie Khadanga, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, commented to Knowridge for an article on increased risk of heart attack in cold weather.

Studies have linked low temperatures to an increased risk of stroke, heart-related chest pain, heart rhythm problems and deaths from heart failure and cardiac arrest.

“Usually that ends up due to a patient overexerting themselves doing strenuous physical activity, such as shoveling or walking through heavy snow,” Khadanga said. One of the main risk factors, she said, comes from your body’s basic reaction to the cold. To conserve warmth, blood vessels constrict to limit blood flow to your skin, which raises your blood pressure. “And that, in and of itself, can increase the risk of a heart attack or a stroke,” she said.

The lower the air temperature, the worse the problem, she said, and the concern is highest among people with existing heart disease, whose blood flow is already restricted.

Khadanga tells her patients that when they’re outside, “not only should they be wearing layers of clothing, but also hats, gloves and heavy socks” to stay warm. But don’t overdo it, Khadanga said. “You want to dress warmly if you’re outside, but you don’t want to overheat.”

In Vermont, Khadanga is surrounded by people who ski, snowboard and do other outdoor activities in the cold. Even for healthy, active people, taking breaks is important, she said. “You do a couple of runs down the hill, then you go back inside to warm up,” she said.