Can A Cold Home Damage Your Heart?

Your wellbeing may be at stake if you dont put the heating on this winter...

- Natalia Lubomirski

With temperatures plummeting this month, hands up who is missing the summer heatwave? we bet that’s most of you. Let’s face it, no one really likes the cold – and neither do our bodies. Chilly climates can dry our skin, slow down our immune system’s response time – making it harder to fend off germs – and, according to a study, it can even affect our hearts. Time to stick the heating on?

Curb the cold

Falling temperatures during the autumn and winter months can cause a knee jerk reaction to ramp up the heating at home, resulting in a thermostat battle between you and your other half. But for all you shiverers out there, science may be on your side.

Previously it was thought that cold weather increased your risk of a heart attack, simply because your ticker had to work harder to keep you warm. But now scientists from University College London have discovered that living in a cold home could have an even more direct impact on your heart, by increasing your blood pressure (hypertension).