JOPLIN, MO.--- Physicians say more people suffer cardiac
emergencies in the winter than any other time of the year.
Doctors say they have not found the exact cause for the rise in
heart attacks, but there are several risk factors that are more
common during the winter that can trigger heart problems. They
include poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol
use. Doctors say the good news is all of these risk factors can
be controlled. "Get out and get active. That doesn't mean you
need to go to the gym 5 days a week, going to the gym and
walking. Getting a gym membership, just getting up and doing
things more manually around the house," says Dr. Frank Veer,
Freeman Emergency Physician. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in every 4 deaths in the
nation is related to heart disease.