November 8, 2024
Dr. Tom Stys shares tips on keeping your heart healthy this winter

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – More people die of heart attacks during the last week of December than any other time of year.

According to Dr. Tom Stys, Interventional Cardiologist at Sanford Health, the increase is brought on by both the holidays and the colder temperatures.

“Cold weather is a known risk for cardiovascular disease. We see an increase in incidents. Cold air can spasm the arteries and lead to a higher likelihood of a bitter outcome. When we get a lot of snow, and all of a sudden, we’re faced with the task of removing snow from the driveway, we’re determined we’ve got to do it, but that strength and exertion might actually unmask problems with your heart and lead to events such as a heart attack. So, we have to be cautious,” said Dr. Stys.

Dr. Stys said that in order to minimize the risk during the winter, you should listen to your heart.

“It’s best to be active and take good care of your heart throughout the year, and when you get out and start scooping snow, you have to realize that it’s more strength exertion than you’re used to. Be cautious, listen to your heart, and listen to your symptoms. If you go out to scoop snow and you start having any kind of a symptom that crosses your mind that might not be right, don’t think twice and call for help because the biggest factor in saving lives in heart attack situations is time,” said Dr. Stys.

According to Dr. Stys, this time of year, the problem is even worse.

“It’s the number one cause of death. One in three adults dies of cardiovascular disease, so it’s huge. At the same time, there are seasonal variations, and unfortunately, when it comes to Christmas and New Year’s, those are the two days that we see the peaks in heart attacks, and we can rationalize it. We can’t explain it, however, it comes down to doing the right thing for your heart, and during the holidays we tend to do less of the right thing for the heart,” said Dr. Stys.

Dr. Stys says the holidays are no excuse for over-indulging either.

“That indulging in extra food, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol during the holidays because it’s the holiday season, is probably the biggest mistake we can make in terms of disfavor to heart healthiness. Overeating and eating the wrong foods over a short period of time does damage to your heart and cardiovascular system. Binge drinking, excessive alcohol consumption over one weekend even has a name assigned to it as the Holiday Heart Syndrome,” said Dr. Stys.

The bright side is that with proper care, heart attacks are preventable.

“The good news, even though easier said than done, is it is preventable, treatable. A majority of cardiovascular diseases are bad diet, lack of exercise, and extra pounds. We all struggle with it. It’s easier said than done. Lose weight, exercise, general recommendations are 150 minutes a week of cardiovascular exercise, so that’s half an hour five days a week. You might think it’s not much but I would say that less than a third of our population does that, and actually, our teenagers are the worst,” said Dr. Stys.

For heart health, setting a goal to lose weight in the new year might be the first step.

“Unfortunately at the same time, about two-thirds of our population is obese by definition. So, we know we need to lose pounds. It’s tough to do, but at the same time, it’s important to watch your diet. It makes a huge difference what you eat — more heart-healthy foods, more fish, more vegetables, less red meat, less fat, and above all, fewer calories,” said Stys.

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