28/01/2026
Summer & Your Heart: What You Need to Know! ☀️🫀
As temperatures rise, so does the stress on your heart — especially in very hot weather. High heat and dehydration make the heart work harder, which can be risky for everyone, but especially for older adults and people with existing heart conditions.
Here’s how to protect your cardiovascular health this summer:
💧 Stay Hydrated: Staying hydrated is key. It is easy to get dehydrated even if you don’t think you’re thirsty. Drink water before, during and after going outside in hot weather.
🤷♀️ How much water? A common guideline is to drink about 30–35 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, someone weighing 70 kg would need roughly 2.1–2.45 litres of fluids daily. Remember, your needs increase with heat, exercise, or sweating.
🕒 Avoid Peak Heat: Try to stay indoors or in the shade between about noon and 3 p.m. when temperatures are usually highest.
👕 Dress Light: Wear lightweight, light-coloured, breathable clothing to help your body stay cool.
🌳 Take Breaks: If you are out in the heat, take regular breaks to rest, cool down and hydrate.
Know the warning signs:
⚠️ Heat exhaustion: dizziness, nausea, weakness, cool pale skin.
⚠️ Heat stroke: high body temperature (39.4 °C), confusion, rapid pulse — this is a medical emergency.
Your heart works hard every day — give it the support it needs to thrive even in this summer heat! 💪🫀
References:
- American Heart Association. When the heat rises, so do heart risks: What you need to know. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/when-the-heat-rises-so-do-heart-risks-what-you-need-to-know
- PSGZ, Swiss Society of Sports Medicine. Fluid requirement: How much water should we drink? https://www.psgz.ch/en/news/fluid-requirement-how-much-water-should-we-drink
