19 November 2014
Last updated at 18:09 ET
A study looking at data from 1990 to 2006 by researchers at
the US Nationwide Children's Hospital recorded 1,647 fatalities from
cardiac-related injuries associated with shovelling snow. In Canada,
these deaths make the news every winter.
Cardiologist Barry Franklin, an expert in the hazardous effects of snow removal, believes the number of deaths could be double that. "I believe we lose hundreds of people each year because of this activity," says Dr Franklin, director of preventative cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at William Beaumont Hospital, Michigan.
His team found that when healthy young men shovelled snow, their heart rate and blood pressure increased more than when they exercised on a treadmill. "Combined this with cold air which causes arteries to constrict and decrease blood supply, you have a perfect storm for a heart attack," he says.
Many people hold their breath during the hard work, which
also puts a strain on the body. To add to this, the prime time for snow
clearance is between 6am and 10am which is when circadian fluctuations
make us more vulnerable to heart attacks. Dr Franklin considers snow
shovelling to be so dangerous that he advises anyone over the age of 55
not to do it.
"People at greatest risk are those who are habitually sedentary with known or suspected coronary disease who go out once a year to clear snow," he says, adding smoking and being overweight drastically increase the risk. If you must do it, push rather than lift the snow, dress in layers, take regular breaks indoors and don't eat or smoke before shovelling.
Using a snow blower is a better option, but there have also been heart attacks recorded in men using blowers, including one fatality in Buffalo on Wednesday. "People don't have any idea how taxing it is on the heart," says Dr Franklin.
Reporting by Jo Jolly
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Why do so many people die shovelling snow?
At
least two people have died from heart attacks while shovelling snow in
Buffalo, New York. Every winter, about 100 people in the US die doing
this. Why?
Cardiologist Barry Franklin, an expert in the hazardous effects of snow removal, believes the number of deaths could be double that. "I believe we lose hundreds of people each year because of this activity," says Dr Franklin, director of preventative cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at William Beaumont Hospital, Michigan.
His team found that when healthy young men shovelled snow, their heart rate and blood pressure increased more than when they exercised on a treadmill. "Combined this with cold air which causes arteries to constrict and decrease blood supply, you have a perfect storm for a heart attack," he says.
Continue reading the main story
The Answer
- raises blood pressure and heart rate more than normal exercise
- cold air constricts blood vessels
- cardiac risks are higher in early morning
- rare exercise for sedentary over-55s
Snow shovelling is particularly
strenuous because it uses arm work, which is more taxing than leg work,
and means the shoveller has to stand upright thus diverting blood away
from their heart to their lower limbs. They also have to strain against
the snow, especially if it is wet and heavy, causing a further increase
in heart rate and blood pressure.
"People at greatest risk are those who are habitually sedentary with known or suspected coronary disease who go out once a year to clear snow," he says, adding smoking and being overweight drastically increase the risk. If you must do it, push rather than lift the snow, dress in layers, take regular breaks indoors and don't eat or smoke before shovelling.
Using a snow blower is a better option, but there have also been heart attacks recorded in men using blowers, including one fatality in Buffalo on Wednesday. "People don't have any idea how taxing it is on the heart," says Dr Franklin.
Reporting by Jo Jolly
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