WVU Medicine doctor explains how heat can affect heart health

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The temperatures across north central West Virginia have remained consistent in the 80 to 90-degree range for the past week, and according to StormTracker 12 data, it will remain that way until early next week.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in West Virginia, with over 200 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2022. Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 1,200 deaths occur in the U.S. each year due to extreme heat, and that number continues to rise.

12 News spoke with Dr. Vikrant Jagadeesan from WVU Medicine to learn more about how heat can affect a person’s heart and how to stay safe during warm weather.

“Heat basically causes the blood vessels to dilate within your body, and the net effect of that is lowering the blood pressure, and when the blood pressure is lowered and when a person is not adequately hydrated, also in the hot weather, the heart compensates typically by pumping harder and faster and this causes increased workload on the heart,” Jagadeesan said.

Those who take heart medications, such as diuretics or beta blockers, could be at an increased risk in the heat.

“Those medications, effects may be exacerbated by being in the heat, so patients who have heart failure might be on a diuretic, that medicine causes them to lose fluid […] and you have excessive sweating from being out in the heat, compounded by the fact of being on a diuretic, you’re more likely to tip too far on the lower side on the volume status and maybe become more dehydrated,” Jagadeesan said.

Heat-related illnesses are not exclusive to older age demographics or those with pre-existing heart conditions. In the past 25 years, over 1,000 children have died from heatstroke after being left in a hot car.

“We always think that age is the most significant predictor of people who are more likely to have an adverse effect from the heat, […] we always warn that it can happen to anybody. We have people who think that they’ll be fine, who are young age, teenagers, 20-year-olds, who come into the emergency room all the time with heat exhaustion or heat stroke kind of symptoms,” Jagadeesan said.

Jagadeesan said that prevention is the biggest key to staying safe during warm temperatures, recommending that people wear lightweight, moisture-wicking clothing and that they avoid peak hours of the sun’s harmful rays, but that the most important step to prevention is to stay hydrated.

“Prevention is the best thing. The most important thing is to stay well hydrated throughout the day. Neutral electrolytes, neutral drinks, water, avoiding excess sugar in the drinks for hydration as well as avoiding alcohol, is probably the best option. Avoiding peak hours during the day, so usually we say 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the peak of the heat is known to be during that time,” Jagadeesan said.

Symptoms of heat-related illness may include chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness and light-headedness, as well as fatigue. If you experience any of these symptoms while outside in warmer temperatures, it is important to find a cooler place to rest and rehydrate or seek medical attention.