Southlake Health’s Regional Cardiac Program says it responded to double the usual number of heart attacks last week, and doctors say it’s linked to shovelling snow.
The Newmarket hospital confirmed that between Feb. 12 and 20, it saw 34 patients with heart attacks linked to shovelling snow.
“It certainly seemed like the volume was much greater than normal, and there’s no question that it was linked to the weather,” said Dr. Chris Overgaard, chief of the department of cardiac health at Southlake, the regional hub for emergent heart attack care servicing York Region and southern Simcoe County.
He said this past week was the highest number of heart attack cases linked to snow shovelling he could recall in the last few years.
While most patients were in their 50s to 60s, Overgaard said they did see some patients with other risk factors below the age of 40.
Overgaard pointed to studies that show that for every 10-centimetre increase in snowfall, there is a proportional increase in heart attacks.
A 2017 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that heavy snowfall and shovelling after a snowstorm increases the risk of going to the hospital for a heart attack, especially for men.
Jack Goodman, professor emeritus in the faculty of kinesiology and physical education at the University of Toronto, says people who suffer a cardiac event while shovelling snow have underlying heart disease and that the exertion acts as a trigger.
“Snow shovelling itself is a very unusual form of exercise. It’s not only the exercise that’s unusual because it poses a disproportionate burden on the heart, but it’s also the environmental conditions,” Goodman said.
Goodman says unlike typical exercise, where people get warmed up first and start slow in the beginning, with snow shovelling, most people jump right into it without warming up.
Signs to watch out for
Overgaard says it’s important for people to keep an eye out for early warning signs when shovelling to ensure they get treatment as soon as possible.
“Signs of a heart attack include chest pain, shortness of breath and pain that spreads to the arm, jaw, neck or shoulders. People may also experience other symptoms like nausea, vomiting or anxiety,” Overgaard said. “If you are experiencing these symptoms, it’s important that you call 911 immediately.”
While it is important to remember the basics around staying in shape and not smoking, Overgaard warned it’s also important to exercise caution when snow shovelling if you are not used to physical exertion.
“Using a snowblower is a great idea. If you’re going to snow shovel, push the snow rather than lift it and just take your time. Don’t try to rush and get it all done in a very short time period, because the amount of cumulative exercise is quite an exertional activity for sure,” Overgaard said.