For most, the holiday season is a time of great joy -- parties, celebrations, gift giving, and just plain overall good cheer as for the briefest of times, we all walk in an attitude of peace-on-earth-and-goodwill-to-men.
Unfortunately, the holiday season is also a time of extremes in temperature and for some, considerably elevated stress levels as people strive to juggle the often competing demands for time. This time of year, people are preparing for the many holiday celebrations, and there may be strain on the finances.
Despite the intended joy the season should bring, for many, the season brings a very unexpected and unwelcome gift -- a heart attack.
The time between Christmas and New Year’s Day is much more than just the holiday season. It’s also the season of heart attacks. More people die of a heart attack during the winter months than any other time of the year. According to Dr. Robert Kloner, a cardiologist at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California, heart attack-related deaths are highest in the United States during the winter months of December and January.
This trend of higher heart attack deaths during winter months appears to be universal. For example, heart attack deaths are highest in Australia during the month of July which is their winter, according to Kloner.
Why are heart attacks deaths more common during the winter months than other times of the year? A number of factors may come into play including shorter days with limited sunlight. Also, diseases such as the flu or pneumonia are more common during the winter months and such diseases are harder on those with existing heart disease.
Kloner believes that the winter cold is one of the biggest culprits in causing an increase of heart attack deaths during the winter months. Cold causes an increase in blood pressure and blood vessels to constrict making the heart work harder to pump the blood.
A recent Canadian study also linked winter activities such as shoveling snow to an increased risk of heart attack. (See Shoveling Snow Increases Risk of Heart attack, https://www.empowher.com/heart-attack/content/shoveling-snow-increases-risk-heart-attack )
In the United States, three of the main holiday celebration days have been identified as having the highest rate of heart attack deaths: Christmas Day, December 26, and New Year’s Day. Of the three, more heart attacks happen on Christmas Day than any other day of the year.
It’s believed that holiday stress plays a role in the increased number of heart attack deaths on these days. Also, people may be less likely to seek medical attention during this time because it is a time of celebration, preferring to wait until after the holidays are over.
Unfortunately, the delay in seeking treatment can result in a life-threatening scenario. If you suspect you are or may be having a heart attack, it’s always important to seek immediate medical attention, even during the holidays.
Heart attack symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, nausea, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and pain in the back, neck, jaw, or arms.
Sources:
Suzy Painter. Winter holidays are peak time for heart attacks. USA Today. 20 Dec 2011. http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/heartdisease/story/2011-12-19/Winter-holidays-are-peak-time-for-heart-attacks/52081198/1
Katherine Kam. The Truth Behind More Holiday Heart Attacks. WebMD the Magazine. 28 Sept 2011. http://www.webmd.com/heart/features/the-truth-behind-more-holiday-heart-attacks
Deborah Kotz. Holiday heart attack week: 5 ways to lower your risk. The Boston Globe. 26 Dec 2011. http://www.boston.com/Boston/dailydose/2011/12/holiday-heart-attack-week-ways-lower-your-risk/molu4PTn0BbLZejK5ge2zM/index.html
Reviewed December 27, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith