Global warming may be forcing polar bears southward and melting glaciers, but it could also have an impact on your heart. Doctors warn that the warmer weather expected with climate change might also produce more heart problems.
"If it really is a few degrees warmer in the next 50 years, we could definitely have more cardiovascular disease, BBC TV reported. The some experts said that the issue deserved more attention. It's well-known that people have more heart problems when it's hot.
During the European heat wave in 2003, there were estimated 35,000 deaths above expected levels in the first two weeks of August. In France alone, nearly 15,000 extra people died when temperatures soared. Experts say that much of that was due to heart problems in the elderly worsened by the extreme heat.
In higher temperatures, we sweat to get rid of heat. During that process, blood is sent to the skin where temperatures are cooler, which opens up the blood vessels. In turn, the heart rate rises and blood pressure drops. That combination can be dangerous for older people and those with weak cardiovascular systems.
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