WINTER The Most Dangerous Season.

• Position: Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

According to the National Heart Foundation, if you have cardiac disease, here is one more reason to dread winter--it's the most dangerous season for people with all types of heart conditions. A large French study revealed that deaths from heart failure peak in the winter. After studying the rate of such fatalities over a five-year period, the researchers found that they consistently jump 20% during the month of January. (Heart failure is not the sudden stopping of the heart that its name may imply, but a gradual, progressive lessening of pumping power, which often leads to death.)

Why is winter so dangerous for heart failure patients? It's not from shoveling snow. Researchers think one possible explanation is that respiratory infections like the flu, pneumonia, and bronchitis pose a special threat for people with heart failure. While a bout with the flu can mean a week or two of misery for a healthy person, those with congestive heart failure have the added complication of chronic fluid accumulation in the lungs. This happens because the weakened heart muscle is unable to pump forcefully enough to move blood quickly through the lungs (where it picks up fresh oxygen), and then to the rest of the body. Blood and other fluids pool in the lungs, making breathing difficult and providing a rich breeding ground for viruses and bacteria.

Adding a nasty virus to already fluid-congested lungs can quickly result in complications that could lead to serious infection, further heart failure, and even death, To avoid this scenario, heart failure patients should be careful to stay away from sick people whenever possible and to get a flu shot every year. They should also talk to their doctor about a new vaccine against the common bacterium that causes pneumonia.

Deaths from heart attacks also peak during the holiday season, according to researchers at the University of Southern...