AHN: Shoveling snow could come with health risks
If the mere thought of shoveling snow makes your body ache, don’t worry — science shows that you’re not alone.
According to a 2020 scientific review from the American Heart Association, snow shoveling is one of the most arduous and taxing activities on the human heart, especially for those who live a sedentary lifestyle or who have preexisting health conditions.
“The strain of heavy snow shoveling may be as or even more demanding on the heart than taking a treadmill stress test, according to research we’ve conducted,” said Heart Association volunteer Barry Franklin, professor of internal medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, Mich.
According to Franklin, a combination of muscle exertion and the constriction of blood vessels due to cold air can lead to a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest either during or after shoveling snow. The effect is especially pronounced in those who don’t exercise frequently, who have a history of heart problems or who have smoked in the past.
“The movements of snow shoveling are very taxing and demanding on your body and can cause significant increases in your heart rate and blood pressure,” Franklin said in a news release.
Dr. Drew Oehler, a preventive cardiologist at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, says he frequently sees patients who express concern about the possible effects of shoveling snow.
“Most of the time, when I see patients who have some snow-shoveling related concern, it's either because they have had a heart attack or some kind of atherosclerotic event in the past and they’re worried that shoveling their walk could be dangerous,” Oehler said.
According to Oehler, the real danger for some people while shoveling snow isn’t a heart attack, but stable angina, a type of chest pain caused by poor blood flow to the heart during exercise.
“Exertion, like shoveling snow, can bring out stable angina,” Oehler said. “It feels a lot like a heart attack, but it only happens whenever you’re exerting yourself and it goes away whenever you stop.”
He added shoveling snow may be particularly dangerous to those who may not exercise regularly and may have undetected problems in their cardiovascular system.
“You have a large population of people who have to do something highly exertional, who may not be doing exertional things otherwise,” Oehler says. “So it’s a kind of surprise to the cardiovascular system and something that has been there for a long time, like a blockage, may suddenly come to a person's attention.”
However, Oehler said he doesn’t believe there is a definite causal or statistical link between cardiac episodes and shoveling snow.
Despite this, Oehler still suggests that anyone shoveling snow “listen to (their) body” and stop whenever they feel chest pains.
The American Heart Association recommends those with a known or suspected heart condition either use an automated snowblower or have someone else remove their snow.
