How Cold Weather Affects Blood Pressure

Despite whatever the groundhog may tell us tomorrow, it’s not time to put away the shovels just yet; many of us are still in for quite a few weeks of winter weather.  Most adults have had enough contending with ice and snow but cold weather can not only be a nuisance, it can also affect your blood pressure.

According to the Mayo Clinic, weather-related changes in blood pressure are more common in adults over the age of 65.  Low temperatures can cause blood vessels to narrow, requiring an increase in blood pressure to force blood through the veins and arteries.   Sudden changes in humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind or cloud cover brought on by a sudden weather front can also affect blood pressure.

A large 2009 French study, published in the  Archives of Internal Medicine, found that the blood pressure of elderly people fluctuated significantly with the change of seasons.   Blood pressure was seen to increase in the winter on average 5 points over systolic blood pressure readings from the summer.   The effects were most pronounced among those 80 years and older.

In addition to constricting blood vessels, cold weather is believed to activate the sympathetic nervous system which controls the body’s response to stress (fight or flight) and release hormones which may speed the heart and in turn increase blood pressure.

This research into how cold affects blood pressure could help explain why more elderly people suffer illness or death as a result of stroke or aneurysm during the winter and better guide preventative treatment.

And if comfort foods and extra time on the couch during the colder months has resulted in gaining a few extra pounds, older adults may find their blood pressure a bit higher in the winter.  Talk with your doctor about seasonal changes in blood pressure to determine if medication should be altered but never make a medication change without consulting your health care practitioner.