World Stroke Day: Doctor Explains How Winter Increases Your Stroke Risk

As temperatures drop, the risk of stroke rises, and this is something doctors and researchers have observed across the globe. Several studies, including those published in The Lancet and Stroke, have shown a notable spike in ischemic stroke cases during winter months, especially when average temperatures fall below 13 degrees Celsius. According to Dr Manoj Khanal, Director, Neurosciences, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, cold weather affects the cardiovascular and circulatory systems in multiple ways, including raising blood pressure, thickening blood, and even increasing clot formation. “Compared with warmer temperatures, the low-temperature group shows a significantly higher proportion of patients with hypertension and large artery atherosclerotic stroke,” he notes.With World Stroke Day 2025 focusing on prevention, experts are urging greater awareness of how seasonal changes can affect brain health. Understanding this connection is particularly crucial in northern India, where winter temperatures can dip sharply, triggering physiological stress responses that heighten the risk of both ischemic and haemorrhagic strokes