Extreme cold heightens risks to heart, lungs, kidneys: Docs

AIIMS doctors say winter cold worsens chronic conditions, urge monitoring and precautions

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As the national capital reels under a cold wave, doctors at AIIMS Delhi warned that such extreme cold conditions can complicate chronic medical conditions and impact the kidney, lungs and heart.

The maximum temperature in Delhi last week was recorded at 20.6 degrees Celsius, which was 0.7 notches above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 3.2 degrees Celsius, plunging 4.2 notches below the season's average.

Dr Rajiv Narang, head of the Department of Cardiology at AIIMS, said that extremely cold weather directly influences a person's blood pressure.

"During winter, blood vessels get constricted and also there is less water intake, which negatively affects blood flow and leads to an increase in blood pressure. Also, the consumption of salty and processed food rises during this time. All this combined can cause the blood pressure to climb, increasing the risk of heart attacks," he said.