Cold Weather Increases Stroke Fatalities

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - This has been a very cold and annoying winter in many respects as storm after storm seems to have come through.

We often talk about the health risks of snow, ice and severe cold. For instance, shoveling snow can be a huge stress on the heart especially when it is cold and the person shoveling is over forty and out of condition. And, if you have ever seen an emergency room in an ice storm the place is full of orthopedic surgeons helping with injuries.

But, now there is a report that cold weather might have an impact on stroke risk.

Researchers looked at over 134,000 stroke hospitalizations across the US between 2009 and 2010. What they found is that colder average temperatures led to higher stroke hospitalization rates and deaths due to stroke.

We can't control the weather but we can be careful about the amount we are exposed to and how much we stress ourselves out there.