A new study has found a link between colder temperatures and an increase in high blood pressure, CBSnews.com reports.
The French study is one of the first to focus on the elderly population and found blood pressure can fluctuate with the various seasons, according to the article.
For seniors, the rate of high blood pressure went from 23.8 percent in the summer to 33.4 percent in the winter.
"Although our study does not demonstrate a causal link between blood pressure and external temperature, the observed relationship nevertheless has potentially important consequences for blood pressure management in the elderly," the authors wrote in the report, states CBSnews.com.
A total of 8,801 adults over the age of 65 participated in the two-year study. The rise in high blood pressure was greatest among people 80 years and older.
This adds another danger for the elderly during the winter months, since it's been shown people are likely to receive less vitamin D from the sun during this time as well.
Many seniors have moved to retirement homes in warmer, sunnier climates to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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