The number of people battling heart diseases is steadily rising especially during winter. It is believed that cold weather affects the heart in many ways. Keeping this in mind, it's important to understand the ways in which we can protect our hearts in chilly weather.

Dr Manoj Kumar, a senior cardiologist with Max Hospital, New Delhi, while speaking to ANI said, "Heart attacks increase in winter, elderly people are more prone to heart attacks but nowadays it can be seen in youth too."

"To avoid this, outdoor morning walks in winter should be avoided before sunrise," he added.

Dr Kumar further said that the clothing should be in layers.

"The surface area of the head is very big. Hence, chance of heat loss from head is high. It is very important to properly cover your head during the winter before heading out."

"The cold causes blood vessels to contract. This is known as 'vasoconstriction' - the narrowing (constriction) of blood vessels by small muscles in their walls, and can lead to high blood pressure," he pointed out.

"Heart attack occurs due to blood clot formation in Coronary arteries. It is seen that fibrinogen levels in our body increase by up to 23 percent during winters. Apart from that, platelet count increases too. And this can cause a blood clot to form and lead to heart attack," said Dr Kumar.

He also advised people to take Vitamin D supplements during winters as precaution to avoid cardiovascular diseases.

"Vitamin D deficiency is one of factors that can cause heart attack. People should take supplements during the winter season," he suggested.