There are many years since the researchers have been trying to figure out why the number of heart attacks spike every Christmas season. Some believe that people have to deal with a tremendous amount of stress during this time of the year due to busy schedules.
Also, they are more likely to end up with food-borne illnesses caused by rich meals. Alcohol consumption can play a major role as well. In other words, all these factors combined might be associated with the elevated number of heart attacks in the United States.
Although during the winter months, the freezing temperatures can restrict blood vessels, the scientists have eliminated this possibility during the latest study. The team calculated the rates of heart attacks in New Zealand during the holiday season to see whether they were similar to the ones in the US.
They chose New Zealand because the country is smaller, so the researchers could track the population easier. Also, the winter in New Zealand is like the summer in the US. Plus, they celebrate Christmas on December 25th too.
The researchers analyzed the mortality rate of heart attacks in New Zealand between 1988 and 2013. Based on the estimates, the number of cardiovascular disease events increased by four percent during the holiday season outside of medical facilities.
In addition to this, the victims were slightly younger than those who died of similar causes over the course of the year. Previous studies have shown that the mortality rate of heart disease is five percent higher during the holiday season, including the Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
A group of British researchers monitored the mortality rate of cardiac events in England a decade ago, and they concluded that there was no spike in heart attacks during Christmas, but there was one on New Year’s Eve.
The scientists haven’t found a direct cause yet that might influence the increasing number of deaths caused by heart attacks during the holiday season. However, they have two possible theories.
People might postpone medical care this time of year because they are busy and they want to spend more time with their families. The problem is that some of them die in the meantime. The second theory might be that many hospitals lack qualified professionals.
Image Source:Pixabay
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