Cardiac patients are better off avoiding extreme climates on vacation

Traveling with a pacemaker or following a heart attack? No problem, as long as you don’t go to tropical or arctic regions.

If you have heart problems, it is best to vacation in areas with a familiar climate. (Image: dpa)
(Photo: Clara Margais/dpa/dpa-tmn)

Frankfurt/Main – Not too high, too hot or too cold: This is the rule of thumb for heart patients when choosing a travel destination.

A holiday in an area with a familiar climate is better for them. Temperatures that are too hot, for example, might trigger cardiac arrhythmia or circulatory collapse, explains cardiologist Magnus Baumhäkel German Heart Foundation.

Staying at high altitudes, on the other hand, can put too much strain on the heart muscle and, in the worst case, lead to a heart attack. Above all, altitudes over 2500 meters offer too little oxygen and put a strain on the heart, which reacts with a higher pulse rate, among other things.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:220704-99-906925/3