Holiday drinking and winter cold could be a dangerous duo for your heart

Winter can be tough on the heart.

Before you make that holiday toast -- over and over and over again -- check out this Orlando Sentinel article. “Doctors say that those who have no known history of heart disease but drink a lot of alcohol at one time are candidates for ‘holiday heart syndrome,’ it notes. And here’s a study that links the syndrome to higher-than-usual drinking.

Next a recent British study finds that cold temperatures also may tax the heart. How cold? This Orlando Sentinel article explains: “In the British study, a majority of the heart attacks occurred when the temperature reached 53 degrees Fahrenheit … or colder.”

And we don’t even want to think about what happens when you over-imbibe during a cold snap.