Winter can be tough on the body

and a perfect time for a brisk walk, a bracing run or a giddy trip down a ski slope. But winter also can be hazardous to health and may be especially tough on hearts, hips, hands and hides (your skin).
Here are the chilly facts and a bit of advice to get you through the season.
Hearts: Take it easy, take it slow
Heart attacks, chest pain and other heart symptoms are more common in winter. One reason: When the body gets cold, blood vessels constrict. "If you already have plaque built up in your arteries, that constriction can decrease blood flow to the heart, leading to symptoms and a heart attack," says Jennifer Mieres, director of cardiology at the New York University School of Medicine.
So if you have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and worrisome cholesterol levels, take extra care to stay warm. (If you don't know your heart risk numbers, this would be an excellent time to find out.)

Some studies suggest low levels of vitamin D, which the body produces in response to sunlight, might also play a role. Ask your doctor if taking a supplement makes sense, Mieres says.
And, yes, some people have heart attacks while shoveling snow. So take it slow and easy out there.
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2009-12-21-yourhealth21_ST_N.htm

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