January 12, 1996
Web posted at: 1 a.m. EST
From Correspondent Jeff Levine
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The blizzard of 1996 left more than broken records in its blustery wake. There were at least 100 deaths, not all of them because of hazardous driving conditions. Some people died of heart attacks suffered while shoveling snow.
Doctors have reason to believe that shoveling snow can be potentially dangerous. Shoveling snow, they say, is a workout that's similar to lifting weights. And, combined with exposure to the cold, it can severely stress the heart.
Dr. Mark Tanenbaum of Alexandria hospital said any person clearing snow from the recent blizzard was doing a job almost as strenuous as running a race. (111K AIFF sound or 111K WAV sound)
John Franke, 49, has no quarrels with that opinion. At his age, he never expected a heart attack, but he is recovering from one he suffered while shoveling snow. "I think one message is none of us are invincible, " he says.
So doctors advise that those with obvious risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, as well as those older than 40, should probably let others do the heavy lifting.
"We've had two people who have suffered heart attacks, cardiac arrests directly related to snow removal; a person who died," said Dr. Bob Rothstein of Suburban Hospital
Busy emergency room personnel have also had to cope with an avalanche of injured patients on account of the weather, with many suffering bruises, muscle strains and broken bones after slipping and falling in the ice.
And, of course winter's most commonly-heard complaint continues to be anxiety and depression. For those walled in at home by the weather, doctors say, cases of cabin fever can sometimes be the hardest to treat. (55K AIFF sound or 55K WAV sound)
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