Heart: Christmas holidays represent a danger.
Are the Christmas holidays dangerous for the heart? Let’s see what science thinks.
Christmas can be stressful on the heart as well. Deadlines, obligations to be respected, last-minute shopping and overeating, but also cold, family conflicts that often resurface and are exacerbated by holidays and flu viruses. Here’s a warning from cardiologists: Be careful, especially if you have or are at risk of heart disease because heart attacks are more common during that time. According to a study by the American Heart Association, deaths from heart attacks in the United States occur more between December 25 and January 1 than in any week of the year: Christmas Day is the deadliest date, followed by December 26 and January 1st.
There are several scientific studies showing that extreme cold can be dangerous for the heart and blood vessels. A study of more than 27,000 patients with cardiovascular disease, published in Jama, Sweden, found that the number of heart attacks increases on days when the temperature is below 0°C. Vasoconstriction can actually cause atherosclerotic plaques to rupture. A rise in temperature of just 8 degrees reduces the risk of heart attack by 3%.
Massimo Volpe, president of the Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention indicates some risk factors for the heart, including physical and emotional stress, excessive and abundant meals, very low temperatures.
