Scientists reveal that you are more likely to have a serious heart attack on Monday than any other day
Scientists reveal that you are more likely to have a serious heart attack on Monday than any other day
Serious heart attacks are more common on a Monday than on any other day, research shows.
Analysis of health data shows that the risk of a heart attack is 13 percent higher on the first day of the work week.
Researchers say it’s likely due to increased stress, as the pressures of work life increase after a relaxing weekend.
Doctors from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland analyzed data from 10,528 patients across the island of Ireland – 7,112 in the Republic and 3,416 in Northern Ireland.
They had been hospitalized between 2013 and 2018 with the most serious type of heart attack: an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) that occurs when a major coronary artery is completely blocked.
Serious heart attacks are more common on a Monday than any other day that research has suggested (File image)
The researchers found a spike in STEMI heart attacks at the start of the work week, with the highest rates on Monday.
There were also higher-than-expected rates on a Sunday, according to findings presented at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference in Manchester.
Scientists have not been able to fully explain the “Blue Monday” phenomenon.
Previous studies suggesting that heart attacks are more likely to occur on a Monday highlighted a connection to circadian rhythm — the body’s sleep or wake cycle.
According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), there are more than 30,000 hospital admissions due to STEMI each year in the UK.
The attack requires emergency evaluation and treatment to minimize damage to the heart, normally performed with emergency angioplasty – a procedure to reopen the blocked coronary artery.
Health data analysis shows heart attack risk is 13 percent higher on the first day of the work week (File image)
Cardiologist Dr Jack Laffan, who led the study at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, said: ‘We found a higher risk of a major heart attack on a Monday. This phenomenon has been described previously in the Western world.
“We know that heart attacks are more common in winter and in the early morning hours.
‘The same effect can be seen in the number of strokes. Previous studies have also shown a higher rate of heart attacks in the days after the clocks move forward for daylight saving time.
“The exact mechanism for these variations is unknown, but we believe it has something to do with how the circadian rhythm affects circulating hormones that can influence heart attacks and strokes.”
He added: ‘It’s probably due to the stress of going back to work. Increased stress leads to rising levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to a higher risk of heart attack.’
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director of the BHF, said: ‘Every five minutes in the UK someone is admitted to hospital for a life-threatening heart attack, so it is vital that research continues to shed light on how and why heart attacks happen . .
“This study adds to the evidence around the timing of particularly serious heart attacks, but we now need to undo what it is on certain days of the week that makes them more likely.”
“This could help doctors better understand this deadly condition so we can save more lives in the future.”