Heart woes can spike this time of year
Dec-26-2013

'Tis the season - for heart attacks? Not to dampen any spirits, but studies show heart troubles spike this time of year.

It's not just a Western phenomenon; recent research in China found the same thing. The increase includes fatal and nonfatal heart attacks and a less serious condition dubbed "holiday heart syndrome" - an irregular heartbeat caused by too much booze.

Reasons for the seasonal increase are uncertain. Theories include cold weather, overindulgence and stress.

"The other day we had three heart attacks come in within four hours," said Dr. Charles Davidson, chief of Northwestern Memorial Hospital's cardiac catheterization services. The hospital's usual rate is two or three a week.

American Heart Association spokesman Dr. Richard Stein, a cardiologist at New York University's medical center, said most studies investigating holiday heart trends have found a statistical increase in heart attacks and other problems - not a giant surge but worth noting just the same.

It happens in cold climates, sometimes when sedentary people or those with heart disease take on too much snow shoveling, or spend too much time outdoors. Cold weather can constrict arteries, increasing demand on the heart, he said, But it also happens in warm places. Flu season coincides with winter holidays and Stein said that might be a factor since the virus can cause inflammation that also can stress the heart.

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