Blood Pressure and Weather
What is the connection?
Nearly 9,000 individuals aged 65 and older were included in the study. They were examined at different times of the year and accordingly at different temperatures. It was found that in winter, the average systolic value was 5 mmHg higher than in the summer months.
If the participants had been classified as hypertensive (patients with High Blood Pressure) based on the measured values, one third would have been affected in winter, while only a quarter would have been affected in summer.
Especially older people over 80 years old are affected by the effect of different blood pressure values depending on the weather or outside temperature.
What are the reasons for this?
In cold, the reverse process occurs: To protect the body from heat loss, the peripheral blood vessels and capillaries constrict, allowing less blood to flow there - the existing amount of blood must therefore be transported at a higher pressure. For people with severe hypertension, this can be dangerous - even the risk of a heart attack increases in winter.
Sources:
By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (04/2024).
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