Summer is the season for outdoor activity, travel, and long sunny days, and for most people, that is entirely good news. For anyone with heart disease or high blood pressure, however, heat is a genuine health consideration that deserves attention.
Here is why: for every degree your body temperature rises, your heart must pump approximately ten extra beats per minute to help cool you down. In extreme heat, that is a significant added workload, one that healthy hearts handle easily but compromised ones may not. The American Heart Association warns that heat-induced dehydration compounds the problem, thickening the blood and making the heart work even harder. A study published in the AHA's journal Circulation projects that cardiovascular deaths related to extreme heat could more than double over the next two decades.
The practical guidance is straightforward: avoid being outdoors during peak heat hours, typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Stay well hydrated, and remember that by the time you feel thirsty, you are already mildly dehydrated. Wear lightweight, light-colored, breathable clothing. If you take heart medications, ask your doctor whether heat affects how they work, as some do.
None of this means staying inside all summer. It means paying attention to conditions, listening to your body, and knowing that your heart is working a little harder on the hot days than you might realize.
