Article content

MONTREAL — Heart specialists from Ottawa through the Maritimes can expect to be busier for the next few days — 16 per cent busier, to be exact.

A new Quebec study looking at every major snowfall between 1981 and 2014 found these cold, hard facts: A snowfall of 20 centimetres increases the odds of being hospitalized by 16 per cent — and of dying from a heart attack by 34 per cent.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or The cold, hard facts: Increased risk of heart attacks after snowstorms, study finds Back to video

One third of heart attacks happened a day following a storm and 10 per cent after snowfalls of five centimetres or more. The association was even stronger after snowfalls lasting two to three days.

That’s exactly what has been happening in eastern Canada — 28 centimetres fell in Ottawa Sunday, 29 cm in Montreal between Sunday and Monday, 35 cm in Fredericton Monday

And then there is Halifax, where a heart-rending 45 cm fell on Monday alone, with some parts of Nova Scotia expecting up to 70 cm by the time it all ends — hopefully — on Tuesday.