As a born Southerner, I am not a cold weather person. Cool is cool. Cold, however, is not.
And as cool weather is on the horizon now that it's September, it's good to know about recent research about the link between cold weather and stroke risk. While the studies don't prove that cold weather causes strokes, it's worth it to stay mindful about staying warm this winter and be sure you stick to your prescribed medications.
Here's a link and a snippet of the story about how cold weather may up risk of stroke, severe heart attack for some:
One investigation, out of Taiwan, has identified a link between cold weather and a heightened risk of stroke for patients with atrial fibrillation, a common problem where the heart beats irregularly.
The finding is based on comparisons of daily temperature records in six regions of Taiwan between 2000 and 2011 and the incidence of ischemic stroke among almost 290,000 patients. Ischemic stroke, the most common type, occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted.
"Our study shows a clear association between temperature and risk of ischaemic stroke in patients with AF," said Dr. Tze-Fan Chao in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology. Chao is a cardiologist at Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan.
The concern: cold weather might promote blood clot formation in the left atrium of the heart, thereby boosting stroke risk among these patients.
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