Keep Your Heart Healthy in Cold Weather

The winter months are a time for roasting chestnuts, sledding, snowball fights and—heart troubles?

That's right—when the mercury drops, the risk of heart attack goes up.
And it's not necessarily from looking at your holiday shopping bill either —though that can be quite a shock.

Doctors say one big reason for the heart attack risk is that cold temperatures can narrow arteries and raise blood pressure, reducing oxygen supply to the heart.

So, the heart works harder pumping blood.

The colder it gets, the more the heart attack risk goes up.

Trying to tackle that snowy driveway can also put a strain on your ticker and lead to a heart attack—especially if you haven't broken a sweat all year.

So, if you do need to clear a path, take it easy —start slow and make sure you don't overdo it.

Better yet, hand it off to someone else and keep your heart happy by cheering them on from the sidelines.