Shoveling snow? Over-exertion and cold temps can raise your heart risks

Описание: (23 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 23 February 2026
1. Various of people shoveling snow

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hackensack, New Jersey - 23 February 2026
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Alina Mitina, emergency medicine specialist with Hackensack University Medical Center:
"This is called heart attack snow. So it's so high, it's, you know, about 15 inches, 18 inches. And it's, again, you know, snow is a risk factor -- shoveling snow is risk factor for developing a heart attack. So people are going out there shoveling snow and that's what happens."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 23 February 2026
3. Various of people shoveling snow
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Neil Shah, director of virtual cardiac rehabilitation at Northwell Health Cardiovascular Institute:
"No, shoveling is quite a strain on the heart. It's a huge strain on the heart and, lifting that snow, working out in the cold weather, all of that puts a combined strain on the heart. It's spiking our heart rates. It's increasing our blood pressure. We need to treat it very seriously, especially for people that are otherwise sedentary at baseline."
5. Various of people shoveling snow
6. Tight of snow on branches
7. Wide of person shoveling snow
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Neil Shah, director of virtual cardiac rehabilitation at Northwell Health Cardiovascular Institute:
"Yeah, the risks to be on the lookout for are things like chest pain, shortness of breath that seems out of proportion to what they're doing, jaw, arm, back pain. Things like that can all represent heart attacks, and these are the things that we're worrying about when people who are otherwise sedentary, have pre-existing heart conditions, they start doing this very intense exercise in these very cold conditions. They need to be on the lookout for those symptoms. Don't be a hero and finish the driveway. They need a stop, go inside, and even strongly consider calling 911 if these symptoms are present."
9. Various of people shoveling.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hackensack, New Jersey - 23 February 2026
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Alina Mitina, an emergency medicine specialist with Hackensack University Medical Center:
"I think if you're young, you have very high to moderate exercise every single day, I think you're probably okay to shovel and make it maybe part of your daily exercise routine. But say you have risk factors such as heart disease, blood pressure problems, diabetes, high cholesterol and maybe you're a little bit older. You should maybe think twice about going out there and shoveling."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 23 February 2026
11. Various of person shoveling
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Neil Shah, director of virtual cardiac rehabilitation at Northwell Health Cardiovascular Institute:
"We need to be very careful when shoveling snow, and I think that's why they need to pace themselves, take breaks. Push more than they're lifting, take smaller scoops, bundle up out there, stay hydrated and really treat it seriously so that they can avoid some of these harmful consequences that we can sometimes see during these weather outbreaks."
13. Sidewalk covered in snow
14. Various of person shoveling snow
STORYLINE:
Digging out after a snow and ice storm could be hazardous to your heart.




If a person has "risk factors such as heart disease, blood pressure problems, diabetes, high cholesterol and maybe you're a little bit older. You should maybe think twice about going out there and shoveling," said Dr. Alina Mitina, an emergency medicine specialist with Hackensack University Medical Center.


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