Avoiding the Merry Christmas coronary or the Happy Hanukkah heart attack

The joys and merriment of the holiday season are meant to be shared with happy, healthy friends and family.  But all too often the extra stress, cold temperatures and over indulgence catch up with people and they end up with a holiday surprise not on their list, a heart attack.

For many years it was noted that deadly heart attacks increased during the winter holiday season.   In a national study published by Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, researchers from the University of California and Tufts University School of Medicine examined 53 million U.S. death certificates from 1973 to 2001.  They found a 5% increase of heart-related deaths during the holiday season.  Even more shocking, December 25 has more cardiac deaths than any other day of the year.  December 26 was second and January 1 was third.  Clearly the holidays are not heart healthy.

The Circulation study suggested that besides the known impacts of cold temperatures on the heart (restricted vessels which raises blood pressure), the holidays piled on additional risk factors such as emotional stress, over indulgence in food and alcohol, forgoing regular exercise routines and the tendency to delay seeking treatment until the holidays are over.  All these make a deadly combination.

Here are some simple tips to steer clear of holiday heart attacks:

Dress warmly and avoid prolongered exposure to extreme cold.

Avoid excessive alcohol which depresses heart function.

Reduce stress by staying within your financial budget for gift giving and not overbooking your social calendar.

Eat in moderation and stick to your normal exercise routine.

Get a flu shot as those with weakened hearts are especially vulnerable to a heart attack after a bout with the flu.

Know the Common Symptoms such as chest pain; pain extending to shoulder, arm, back or jaw; shortness of breath;  sweating; feeling light-headed or dizzy; nausea or vomiting; and unexplained fatigue.

Seek Treatment Immediately if you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of a heart attack.  No one wants to spoil the holiday fun but your friends and family will be glad you're around to celebrate another year.  Call 911 and take an aspirin while you wait for EmergyCare to arrive.  We'll start diagnosing on the way to the hospital and our advanced cardiac monitors will show the E.R. exactly what is going on in your heart. They will design a treatment plan before we even arrive.

The above is not intended to replace specific instructions from your medical care provider.  It is intended as a general reference only.