Heat tips from the Heart Foundation for heart patients and senior citizens
In view of an impending heat wave with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius, the German Heart Foundation warns of health risks for older people and patients with cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiac insufficiency or coronary heart disease. High temperatures put a strain on the heart, as the body’s own cooling system is restricted and heat can only be removed with great effort. This can lead to muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness, drops in blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia or even circulatory collapse.
The Heart Foundation recommends avoiding heat, shifting physical exertion to cooler morning or evening hours and measuring blood pressure regularly. Extreme heat can cause blood pressure to both rise and fall, which may require adjustments to antihypertensive medication – always in consultation with the doctor. Patients with cardiac insufficiency who are taking diuretics are particularly at risk from fluid loss. It is essential to drink enough, but not too much, so as not to impair cardiac performance. To check the fluid balance, those affected should weigh themselves in the morning; if it is very hot, an additional weighing in the evening is advisable. Weight gains of more than one kilogram overnight or more than two kilograms in three days require medical consultation.
Other precautionary measures include seeking out cooler environments, adjusting the electrolyte balance and, if necessary, adjusting medication. The Heart Foundation offers detailed tips here.
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Gender note. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple references and gendered designations are avoided in favor of better readability. t
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