A major Massachusetts winter storm dropped more than two feet of snow in some towns and prompted widespread driveway shoveling. Cardiologists reported an increase in shoveling-related emergency visits and a cluster of STEMI heart attacks treated within a 24-hour period, with shoveling cited as the trigger for most cases. Physicians linked the spike to heavy snowfall, frigid temperatures, and seasonal physical deconditioning from more sedentary winter lifestyles. Cold-induced blood vessel constriction and the intense physical exertion of shoveling combine to elevate cardiovascular strain and the risk of heart events.
"I think this is a fairly recognized phenomenon,"
"Every time there's a storm, there's generally an uptick in ER visits with shoveling-related symptoms."
"It may have been related to the storm intensity and the amount of snow we got compared to previous years,"
"This was certainly a bigger-than-expected spike in heart attacks."
Read at Boston.com
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