Stress, poor diet and increased alcohol intake around the holidays are responsible for the increase in heart attack deaths at this time of year.
Cardiologists have reported a 15 percent greater risk of fatal heart attacks each year at the end of the holidays, especially on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Tragedy mainly affects the elderly and people with underlying risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and smoking.
In addition to stress and a poorer diet around the holidays, experts have pointed the finger at a lack of sleep and a failure to recognize signs of a problem, including chest pain, shortness of breath and dizziness.
All of these factors come together to cause what cardiologists call “holiday heart syndrome.”
Cardiologists report a 15 percent greater risk of fatal heart attacks every year at the end of the holiday season
Every year during the holidays, millions of Americans abruptly change their eating, drinking and exercise habits.
For many, festive dishes, festive drinks and social gatherings are essential ingredients for happy holidays.
But the attitude that holidays are a time for innocent pleasure can be harmful, especially for people already prone to heart problems.
Dr. Johanna Contreras, a cardiologist at Mt. Sinai Hospital System in New York City and volunteer for the American Heart Association, said: 'The holidays bring a lot of extra stress for many people. There are many parties and family gatherings where many tend to indulge in lavish food and drinks.”
Holiday heart syndrome is usually associated with a sudden increase in alcohol consumption that causes irregular heart rhythms known as atrial fibrillation.
Other factors, including stress, dehydration and eating too many rich or salty foods, can also cause arrhythmias in certain people, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
The term 'holiday heart syndrome' was coined by Dr. Philip Ettinger in 1978 after he discovered a link between cardiac arrhythmias and binge drinking, especially around weekends and holidays.
The deadly phenomenon was first reported in a 2004 study published in Circulationthe flagship journal of the American Heart Association.
In it, researchers found that there is an approximately 4.65 percent increase in cardiac deaths and a five percent increase in non-cardiac deaths during the winter holidays, compared to what would be expected if the holidays had no effect on mortality.
Subsequent studies have confirmed this. a British medical journal A study published in 2018 found that heart attacks increase by 15 percent during the winter holidays among people living in Sweden.
More specifically, heart attacks increased by 37 percent on Christmas Eve, peaking around 10 p.m., and being more common in people over 75.
It's likely that the 2023 holidays will prove deadlier than previous years, given that more serious heart attacks take place on Monday than any other day of the week. Christmas Day fell on a Monday this year.
And the excitement surrounding the holidays can obscure warning signs. At the same time, people are generally less likely to go to the doctor during the holidays.
Dr. Contreras said, “No one wants to think about tragedy during this joyful time of year when we gather with family and friends. However, these startling facts are very sobering.'
In the US, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds, and a total of more than 800,000 Americans have one every year.
The mortality rate from heart attacks used to be as high as 50 percent. Today, more than 90 percent of people survive.