Heart disease risk is at its peak in winter months and falls during the summer, according to a recent study from the European Society of Cardiology.
Swiss researchers used cross-sectional data from 10 population-based studies in seven countries and included over 107,000 participants between the ages of 35 and 80, according to a report from Medical News Today. Patient measurements included blood pressure, lipids, glucose levels, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
Further, the measurements were compared by season and adjusted for age, gender and whether a participant smoked, the report says.
The researchers found that risk factors like blood pressure, total cholesterol and waist size were higher in January and February but lower in July and August when compared with the yearly average, the report says. BMI and glucose level averages did not change throughout the year.
The variation may be partially explained by a change of diet according to the seasons, the report says.
Dr. Pedro Marques-Vidal of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland advised people to make an extra effort to exercise and eat healthy in the winter months to protect their hearts.
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