Cold weather may increase risk for various health problems

Nobody really knows why, but recent research show that sudden drops in environmental temperature are associated with increased risk for disease and death (American Journal of Epidemiology, December 2008).

Researchers at the University of Athens in Greece studied people in 15 European cities. They plotted the average temperature for that day against the number of deaths in that city and showed that a 1?Centigrade decrease in temperature from one day to the next is associated with a 1.72 percent increase in daily heart attack deaths, a 3.30 percent increase in respiratory deaths, and a 1.25 percent increase in stroke deaths.

This study does not tell you to move to warmer climates because those who live in warmer cities are far more susceptible to dying from sudden drops in temperature. This study does suggest that you should try to avoid chilling and cold weather if you suffer from heart, lung or blood vessel disease.