Shovelling snow can lead to fatal heart attacks, research finds

It causes around 100 deaths every year

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Shovelling snow causes around 100 deaths every year and is too dangerous for those aged over 55, a medical study warns.

Following plunging temperatures, ice and some of the worst snowstorms in Britain for four years, experts are warning people not to shovel snow from outside their homes.

The advice comes after a study by researchers at the US Nationwide Children's Hospital recorded 1,647 fatalities from cardiac-related injuries associated with shovelling snow.

Cardiologist Barry Franklin, an expert in the hazardous effects of snow removal, says that the reason for these deaths is because people “don't have any idea how taxing it is on the heart,” he told the BBC.

During the study, which was based on data from 1990 to 2006, Franklin’s team found that when healthy young men shovelled snow, their heart rate and blood pressure increased more than when they exercised on a treadmill.

“Combine this with cold air, which causes arteries to constrict and decrease blood supply, you have a perfect storm for a heart attack,” he said.

He also revealed that shovelling snow can be particularly strenuous because it requires arm work rather than leg work, which can get you out of breath more quickly, and advised anyone over the age of 55 not to shovel snow at all.

If you are overweight, a smoker or live a particularly sedentary lifestyle, he believes you are also at increased risk.

While no similar studies have been carried out in the UK, research published in the British Medical Journal also showed a link between temperature and cardiac deaths.

Researchers found that lower temperatures lead to an increase risk of heart attack, “predominantly operating in the two weeks after exposure.”

Similarly, the NHS has warned that people are more at risk of heart attacks in cold weather adding, “Heart attacks are more common in winter.

“This may be because cold weather increases blood pressure and puts more strain on the heart.”