Physical- and chemical risks in the environment.
Severe cold and heat impose stresses on the cardiovascular
system of the elderly.
Seasonal variation of
both coronary and cerebrovascular mortality show
peaks during extremes of both cold and heat.
Blood
pressure rises during the cold season, and acute exposures
to cold are known to precipitate anginal
attacks, ischaemic electrocardiographic changes and
arrhythmias.
The elderly and patients with cardiovascular
disease are particularly sensitive to cold
weather, when they prefer to stay indoors and remain
sedentary.
For prevention, warm housing and clothing
are required and also heated premises for physical
activity when this is not advisable outdoors.
However,
adequately heated housing does not by itself
abolish the seasonal variation in mortality.
Among chemical exposures that are harmful to the
elderly, air pollution by smog is of major importance,
the mortality being particularly high among elderly
persons with pre-existing chronic cardiopulmonary
disease.
Another recognized hazard is carbon monoxide
emitted, for example, by defective heating
installations.
Read more
There are many risk factors for CVD - one of them is described above.
Comment: don't get much cold, don't get much pollution in Pioppi!
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