Hot weather and heart medications increase heart attack risk,

In a recent study conducted in Germany, 2,500 cases of non-fatal heart attacks were investigated in relation to the summer months and heart medication use. The study compared temperature exposures on the days participants had heart attacks to their temperature exposures on other days within the same month.

Antiplatelet medications were linked to a 63% increase in heart attack risk and beta blockers accounted for 65% increased risk while individuals in the study who were taking both were at a 75% higher risk.

Those who took neither drug were shown to be at no higher risk of heart attack on hot days, unlike those who do. Younger patients taking these medications were more susceptible to heat related heart attacks than older ones.

Statins also showed an increased risk of heart attack on hot days. Conductors of the study theorized that taking those medications may make it difficult for patients to regulate their body temperature, making them more susceptible to heart attack when temperatures are high. ”It is important to understand how medications interact with everything from other medications, to foods, to — as this study shows — environmental factors. We strive to provide our clients with all the drug information they need along with the right medications in order to effectively and successfully treat their patients,” stated Saba Ansari, VP of Clinical Services.