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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kristy Smorol, Communications Director Office: 3 !"#3$"%#!# or Cell: 3 !"#$3"!&'! (risty"smorol)*eart"or+ ,,,"face-oo("com.american*eartne,yor( T,itter: )/eartC01

PO Box 3049, 17 Technology Place Syracuse, NY 13220 americanheart.org

Winter Weather Warning

Deaths from heart disease rise rapidly during cold months
Syracuse, NY 2 3it* col4 tem5eratures an4 lots of sno, fallin+ in Central 0e, 1or(, t*e American /eart Association is ,arnin+ 5eo5le to 5rotect t*eir *earts in t*e col4 ,eat*er" 6eo5le ,*o may -e at *i+* ris( inclu4e t*ose ,it* e7istin+ *eart 4isease or stro(e, 5eo5le ,it* a stron+ family *istory, *i+* -loo4 5ressure, *i+* c*olesterol, smo(ers, t*ose ,*o are o8er,ei+*t an4 t*e se4entary" For t*ese in4i8i4uals, t*e stresses of t*e season may 5ose e7tra concern" T*e American /eart Association is ur+in+ in4i8i4uals to e7ercise 4ue caution to a8oi4 su44en car4iac 4eat*" Deat*s from coronary artery 4isease ten4 to rise ra5i4ly in t*e col4 ,inter mont*s" Se8eral factors may influence t*is unfortunate tren4, from an increase in res5iratory infections 4urin+ t*e ,inter, to increase4 ,or(loa4 on t*e *eart from acti8ities suc* as s*o8elin+ of *ea8y sno," T*e American /eart Association recommen4s t*e follo,in+ ti5s to *el5 res5on4 to an4 5re8ent su44en car4iac arrest: Avoid sudden cold weather exertion Sno,storms 5resent 5articular c*allen+es for e8eryone, 5rimarily -ecause +ettin+ ri4 of t*e sno, usually means su44en e7ertion in col4 ,eat*er" In an4 of itself, sno, s*o8elin+ can -e *ealt*y, +oo4 e7ercise, -ut not if you are normally se4entary, are in 5oor 5*ysical con4ition, or *a8e ris( factors t*at ma(e sno, s*o8elin+ ina48isa-le for your *ealt*" E8eryone ,*o must -e out4oors in col4 ,eat*er s*oul4 a8oi4 su44en e7ertion, li(e liftin+ a *ea8y s*o8el full of sno," E8en ,al(in+ t*rou+* *ea8y, ,et sno, or sno,4rifts can strain a 5erson9s *eart" Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia /y5ot*ermia occurs ,*en your -o4y can9t 5ro4uce enou+* ener+y to (ee5 t*e internal -o4y tem5erature ,arm enou+*, causin+ it to fall -elo, normal" It can (ill you" /eart failure causes most 4eat*s in *y5ot*ermia" Sym5toms inclu4e lac( of coor4ination, mental confusion, slo,e4 reactions, s*i8erin+ an4 slee5iness" C*il4ren, t*e el4erly an4 t*ose ,it* *eart 4isease are at s5ecial ris(" As 5eo5le a+e, t*eir a-ility to maintain a normal internal -o4y tem5erature often 4ecreases" :ecause el4erly 5eo5le seem to -e relati8ely insensiti8e to mo4erately col4 con4itions, t*ey can suffer *y5ot*ermia ,it*out (no,in+ t*ey9re in 4an+er" -more-

Stay Warm 6eo5le ,it* coronary *eart 4isease often suffer c*est 5ain or 4iscomfort calle4 an+ina 5ectoris ,*en t*ey9re in col4 ,eat*er" :esi4es col4 tem5eratures, *i+* ,in4s, sno, an4 rain also can steal -o4y *eat" 3in4 is es5ecially 4an+erous, -ecause it remo8es t*e layer of *eate4 air from aroun4 your -o4y" Similarly, 4am5ness causes t*e -o4y to lose *eat faster t*an it ,oul4 at t*e same tem5erature in 4rier con4itions" To (ee5 ,arm, ,ear layers of clot*in+" T*is tra5s air -et,een layers, formin+ a 5rotecti8e insulation" Also, ,ear a *at or *ea4scarf" Muc* of your -o4y9s *eat can -e lost t*rou+* your *ea4 an4 ears are es5ecially 5rone to frost-ite" Kee5 your *an4s an4 feet ,arm, too, as t*ey ten4 to lose *eat ra5i4ly" Avoid alcohol before heading outdoors Alco*ol +i8es an initial feelin+ of ,armt*, -ut t*is is cause4 -y e75an4in+ -loo4 8essels in t*e s(in" /eat is t*en 4ra,n a,ay from t*e -o4y9s 8ital or+ans" Alco*ol consum5tion an4 5*ysical acti8ity in *ars* ,inter ,eat*er con4itions can increase t*e li(eli*oo4 of *y5ot*ermia" Learn CPR and or !ands"#nlyTM CPR CPR$ A-out %' 5ercent of all out;of;*os5ital car4iac arrests occur in 5ri8ate resi4ential settin+s, so -ein+ traine4 to 5erform car4io5ulmonary resuscitation <C6R= can mean t*e 4ifference -et,een life an4 4eat* for a lo8e4 one" Effecti8e -ystan4er C6R, 5ro8i4e4 imme4iately after car4iac arrest, can 4ou-le a 8ictim>s c*ance of sur8i8al" T*e American /eart Association con4ucts courses con8enient to e8eryone" To access a course listin+, lo+ on to t*e A/A>s ,e- site at ,,,"american*eart"or+.eccclassconnector" !ands"#nly CPR$ /an4s;OnlyTM C6R is C6R ,it*out mout*;to;mout* -reat*s" It is recommen4e4 for use -y 5eo5le ,*o see an a4ult su44enly colla5se in t*e ?out;of;*os5ital@ settin+ <li(e at *ome, at ,or(, in a 5ar(=" It offers an easy to remem-er an4 effecti8e o5tion to t*ose -ystan4ers ,*o *a8e -een 5re8iously traine4 in C6R -ut are afrai4 to *el5 -ecause t*ey are not confi4ent t*at t*ey can remem-er an4 5erform t*e ste5s of con8entional C6R" It consists of two steps: = Call A <or sen4 someone to 4o t*at=" #= :e+in 5ro8i4in+ *i+*;Buality c*est com5ressions -y 5us*in+ *ar4 an4 fast in t*e center of t*e c*est ,it* minimal interru5tions" For a44itional information on /an4s;Only TM C6R an4 to ,atc* an instructional 8i4eo 8isit ,,,"*an4sonlyc5r"or+
About the American !eart Association Foun4e4 in A#$, ,e>re t*e nation>s ol4est an4 lar+est 8oluntary *ealt* or+aniCation 4e4icate4 to -uil4in+ *ealt*ier li8es, free of *eart 4isease an4 stro(e" To *el5 5re8ent, treat an4 4efeat t*ese 4iseases D America>s 0o" an4 0o" $ (illers D ,e fun4 cuttin+;e4+e researc*, con4uct lifesa8in+ 5u-lic an4 5rofessional e4ucational 5ro+rams, an4 a48ocate to 5rotect 5u-lic *ealt*" To learn more or Eoin us in *el5in+ all Americans, call ;%'';A/A;FSA or 8isit ,,,"*eart"or+"

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