Statistically, the risk of stroke or heart attack increases on December 25 and 26 as well as January 1. Although it is difficult to obtain precise figures, it is estimated that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases by 15 to 20% between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Several factors can explain this increase. Stress, the origins of which vary from person to person, plays an important role. Cold weather, for example, constricts blood vessels, forcing the heart to pump harder and faster. This situation is particularly worrying for people suffering from hypertension, smoking, diabetes or the elderly.
Stress can also be linked to social and logistical factors: entertaining family members, doing Christmas shopping, or even the fear of missing a train. Cardiologists have also reported an increase in heart attacks around train stations!
Should we pay attention to our diet?
Enjoy the holidays, but be careful with salt, which can raise blood pressure and cause stroke. Indeed, a meal consisting of a few tarama blinis, a piece of foie gras, smoked salmon with bread, cheese and a few aperitif biscuits can easily reach the 5 to 6 g of salt recommended per day.
Plus, no one wants to have a heart attack or stroke, especially during the holidays. That’s the whole problem! As we tell ourselves that we should not get sick, we tend to neglect our symptoms, which can make the situation worse.. So, if you experience sudden chest pain that lasts several minutes or if you have neurological signs such as muscle weakness in an arm or leg or difficulty speaking, you should definitely call 15, even if the symptoms improve within a few minutes.
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