According to a study by Swedish researchers, there would be a "spike" of heart attacks among the elderly on Christmas Eve, around 10 p.m. This is just a link. The triggers can be many.
Christmas Eve is the peak time for heart attacks – at least in Sweden. Researchers have recently looked at data from 283,014 heart attacks reported in Swedish hospitals between 1998 and 2013. This shows a 37% increase in the risk of attack on Christmas Eve , on December 24, with a "peak" recorded around 10 p.m. for people over 75. More generally, the risk of heart attack would increase by 15% during the Christmas period. There would also be, still according to the study, more crises in the middle of the summer (+ 12%).
“Christmas and summer holidays were associated with a higher risk of myocardial infarction, particularly in older and sicker patients, suggesting the roles of external triggers in vulnerable people ” , reads the study, published in the journal BMJ .
To explain this, researchers put forward several factors:feelings of anger, anxiety, sadness, or even an excess of stress or joy. To which are also added « an excessive food consumption , alcohol and long trips, which can also increase the risk of heart attack ” , notes David Erlinge of Lund University in Sweden. Without forgetting of course the cold, which naturally increases the risk of heart attack. Cool temperatures actually lead to a contraction of blood vessels into the skin to retain heat. This increases the workload of the heart and therefore increases the risk of a crisis.
The study only establishes a link here. “ These findings merit further research to identify the ongoing mechanisms behind this phenomenon ” , note the researchers. Nevertheless the elderly and prone to heart problems, and their relatives, must be aware of this established link. The cold, added to emotional distress and overeating can actually increase the risk of heart attacks. Remember!
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