A significant Arctic blast expected to hit the U.S. starting later this week will bring the coldest air of the season, dangerous wind, and heavy snow from the Great Plains to the Great Lakes. According to the American Heart Association, the exertion of shoveling snow in extreme cold can be deadly, increasing the risk of a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest.
The American Heart Association’s 2020 scientific statement, Exercise-Related Acute Cardiovascular Events and Potential Deleterious Adaptations Following Long-Term Exercise Training: Placing the Risks Into Perspective–An Update, notes snow shoveling among the physical activities that may place extra stress on the heart, especially among people who aren’t used to regular exercise. Numerous scientific research studies over the years have identified the dangers of shoveling snow for people with and without known heart disease.
"If you’ve ever taken a treadmill stress test or seen one on TV, imagine that same strain on your heart while you are trying to clear your driveway of heavy snow," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. "That strain combined with the arctic cold expected this winter could lead to a heart-related emergency - especially for those who aren’t physically fit or people with existing heart conditions."
Rosen explains that someone who’s not as active during the year and then picks up a snow shovel in the winter may not realize the extreme cold and exertion forces your heart to work harder, sometimes dangerously harder. Shoveling is primarily arm work, which is harder on the heart than leg work. Lifting heavy loads often causes people to hold their breath without realizing it, spiking heart rate and blood pressure. Cold air constricts blood vessels throughout the body, raising blood pressure and tightening coronary arteries.
The risk is even greater for people with cardiovascular concerns such as a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking history, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or a prior heart attack, stroke or other cardiac condition. The American Heart Association urges everyone to learn the common signs of a heart attack and stroke. If you experience chest pain or pressure, lightheadedness or heart palpitations or irregular heart rhythms, stop the activity immediately. Call 9-1-1 if symptoms don’t subside shortly after you stop shoveling or snow blowing. If you see someone collapse while shoveling snow, call for help and start Hands-Only CPR if they are unresponsive with no pulse.
Tips to reduce increased risk from snow shoveling include: if you have known or suspected heart disease or risk factors, get someone else to do your snow removal; if you must shovel, start gradually and pace yourself, cover your mouth and nose, and wear layered clothing; ideally push or sweep the snow rather than lifting and throwing it; be extra careful when the wind is blowing; and if able, use an automated snow blower, as research shows it doesn’t raise your heart rate as high as shoveling. Learn more about cold weather and cardiovascular disease at heart.org. Additional resources include the Journal of the American Medical Association manuscript: Cardiac Demands of Heavy Snow Shoveling.
