How Does Hot Weather Affect Your Heart, According to the BHF?

Hot weather makes your body work harder to stay cool, and that extra effort can put strain on your heart—especially if you already have a heart condition. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) addresses this directly in its heart health guidance and points readers to tips for staying safe and cool, plus access to a cardiac nurse for personal questions. The information below reflects what BHF publishes on its site; it is general guidance, not a substitute for advice about your own condition.

Why Heat Adds Strain on the Heart

When temperatures rise, your body has to work harder to keep its core temperature stable. The BHF frames this as extra strain on the heart, and notes the risk is greater for people living with a heart condition. In practice, that means heat is not just an inconvenience—it is a workload issue for the cardiovascular system.

Who Should Pay Closer Attention

• People with an existing heart condition, as the BHF specifically flags this group.
• Anyone who notices symptoms worsening in hot weather and is unsure whether it is heat-related or something else.
• People who want general, non-urgent guidance and would rather ask a professional than guess.

Practical Steps: Staying Safe and Cool

The BHF's site directs readers to a dedicated set of tips for staying safe and cool in hot weather. Because the exact tip list is not reproduced in the source material here, use the BHF page itself as the authoritative checklist rather than relying on secondhand summaries. What the BHF does make clear is the underlying logic: reduce the heat load on your body so your heart does not have to compensate as much.

For a concrete example, someone with a heart condition planning a summer errand run can use the BHF guidance to decide when and how to go out, rather than treating a hot day like any other.

Getting Answers From a Cardiac Nurse

If you have a specific question—say, whether your symptoms in hot weather warrant concern—the BHF offers access to a cardiac nurse by phone, email, or webchat through its Heart Helpline. The BHF describes this as a way to get answers to your questions or general advice. Use it for general guidance; it is not a replacement for your own clinician who knows your history.

Where BHF Fits Alongside This Guidance

The BHF describes itself as the biggest independent funder of research into cardiovascular disease in the UK, with a vision of a world where everyone has a healthier heart for longer. Its site also states that every three minutes someone in the UK dies from cardiovascular disease, that over 8 million people in the UK are living with it, and that it kills 1 in 4 people in the UK. That context explains why heat guidance matters: a large population already carries cardiovascular risk.

The site also offers broader heart health information and support, healthy lifestyle articles and recipes, and ways to get involved—donating money or items, shopping, fundraising, and events.

Quick Reference

If you have a heart condition and hot weather is making you feel unwell, contact your own clinician or emergency services as appropriate rather than relying on general web guidance.