Risk of heart attack increases significantly during the holiday season

Christmas is over, New Year’s Eve is now approaching. A holiday marathon that is sometimes too intense for more fragile people. The risk of heart attack is increasing during this end-of-year period.

Christmas and then the New Year are a cocktail of risks: the stress of presents, the family arriving, the train or plane to catch on time, the table plan and then the copious, salty, alcoholic meals, accompanied by long evenings to stay up and short nights. All the ingredients come together to increase the number of myocardial infarctions, which is more simply called a heart attack.

They are up 15% on average during the holidays, according to a Swedish study. The researchers analyzed the cases of 283,000 heart attack victims over 15 years, with a peak risk reached on Christmas Eve (+ 37%). These results confirm those of the American Heart Association, which also calls for caution during this period.

The risk of heart attack is also increased by the cold of winter. Concretely, a heart attack means that part of the myocardium, the heart muscle, dies from lack of oxygen. This asphyxia occurs when a coronary artery, which supplies the heart, becomes blocked, due to a fatty plaque, for example. The vessel can then no longer transport the oxygen to its destination as it should. Cold weather causes our blood vessels to constrict and narrow, so our arteries can become blocked more easily, causing a heart attack.

To avoid accidents, you must first limit excesses, particularly alcohol. It is also important to watch over the most vulnerable, including those over 75 and people with diabetes or heart disease. Signs are revealing in the event of an attack: pain in the middle of the chest which can spread to the throat, jaw, shoulder and arms. Shortness of breath, palpitations and intense fatigue are other clues to take into consideration. If these symptoms appear, you must immediately call for help and, above all, do not underestimate them for fear of spoiling the party. The sooner a heart attack is treated, the greater the chances of survival.