Winter Danger

Rapid decreases in barometric pressure (usually associated with precipitation, especially during winter) are linked to heart attack. In a review of 1,300 hospital admissions of heart attack patients over a three-year period, when the pressure dropped one unit on the barometer, heart attack risk was 10% greater during the next 24 hours...a two-unit drop per hour resulted in a 20% increase in risk.

Theory: A rapid drop in barometric pressure causes inflamed atherosclerotic plaque to break off and trigger a heart attack.