The heavy pile of snowfall in every winter may be tempting you to shovel it but a recent study published in Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests people think twice about doing so.
A study that included almost 200,000 respondents has found that more than 128,000 of them suffered from Myocardial Infarction (MI) and had to be hospitalized after snow-shoveling activity.
The risk death from heart attack is most likely for men than women, and the association is found 'very strong', according to CBC. Dr. Nathalie Auger, the lead author, explained that shoveling is a heavy cardiovascular duty with 75 percent of heart rate recorded.
Heavy snowfall tied to higher heart attack risk for men https://t.co/bZwLha5f4U
— Amanda Thien-Tu (@AmandaThienTu) February 13, 2017
It is important to have a fit health condition before deciding to shovel the snow due to the strenuous exercise. Individuals who already have the risk factors aren't suggested at all.
A few missing information
The research, however, did not include the size of the shoveled area or the shoveling tool that they were using - such as - whether it was manually done or activating the snow blowers.
The authors did not state any gender-specific data on the shoveling habits but men are more likely to shovel during snowfalls.
Northeast braces for heavy snow today, days after largest winter storm of season dumped as much as 19 inches of snow https://t.co/uFHQFBqZoo pic.twitter.com/Vw2laYauyD
— ABC News (@ABC) February 13, 2017
How does snow-shoveling link to heart attack?
In the study, scientists explained that snow-shoveling requires 'intense arm effort and repetitive motion'. The efforts result in an increase of coronary plaque rupture. The risk gets even bigger when one is exposed to cold temperature - which eventually demands more oxygen, UPI reported.
According to Auger, it's important to educate the public with the potential risk of heart attack during the winter.
