If you're still sore from shoveling the snow off your driveway over the weekend , don't be discouraged: it can be a deceptively hard job.

While shoveling snow may seem like just one more household chore, it can be hazardous – and sometimes fatal – to people with underlying health conditions. Research shows that the exertion may lead to an increased risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest.

"Shoveling a little snow off your sidewalk may not seem like hard work. However, the strain of heavy snow shoveling may be as or even more demanding on the heart than taking a treadmill stress test," Dr. Barry Franklin, a former American Heart Association volunteer, said in a news release .

Nearly 200,000 adults were treated in emergency rooms for snow-shovel-related accidents from 1990 to

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