High heart attack risk at Christmas

DAK Health: Statistics shows especially many heart attacks on the Christmas days

16/12/2013

The Christmas season is not just the time for rest and relaxation in the circle of closest relatives. The gift shopping must be done, the Christmas tree must be ready in time on the 24th ready and in the job are still tasks that need to be done by the turn of the year. For many people, this phase of the year is also associated with a lot of stress and leads to some sometimes in a heart attack.

The health insurance DAK-Health has carried out an evaluation of the hospital data of its insured persons from the years 2009 to 2012 in this regard. It was noticeable that at this time a third more people are diagnosed „Heart attack“ were delivered as an annual average. „Men are particularly affected. The festival of love literally hits the heart, "said the DAK.

The health insurance sees above all private and professional stress as possible causes for increased heart attacks. According to the evaluation, in Germany on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day on average 40 hospitalizations due to a heart attack. During the rest of the year, only 30 admissions per day are reported, according to the health insurance company.

"There can always be deviations from the average," said Peter Rowohlt from DAK-Gesundheit. "The accumulation at Christmas in all four consecutive years is very noticeable." Men are particularly at risk because in more than 60 percent of deliveries a man is in need. In general, cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in Germany.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, more than 40 percent of all deaths in 2012 were associated with this disease. Of the 55,425 people, 56 percent were men. But the Christmas period contributes only partially to this increase, because usually arise heart problems due to long-term causes, which then end up in an infarct in the worst case. The main risk factors for coronary heart disease include smoking, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and lack of exercise. Add obesity and an unbalanced diet, the risk is even increased.

Christmas Eve was not always like this
Although stress is considered a major cause of heart attack, Christmas has not always been the time for acute heart failure. In 2007, the Society of Cardiology evaluated data from 36,400 heart attacks and came up with the unexpected result. Around Christmas, the infarct rate was unexpectedly 10 percent lower than the rest of the year. Even in the three days before, a reduction has been noted. The company had stated that the daily and seasonal fluctuations in the occurrence of a heart attack are mainly related to changes in the autonomic nervous system.

Why the latest evaluations of DAK health now come to an opposite conclusion, about it can only be speculated. Physicians recommend for prevention of cardiovascular disease regular exercise of about three times 30 minutes a week, a varied diet with low animal fats and meat, and alcohol only in very small quantities. Nicotine should be completely dispensed with. (Fr)