Increased risk of heart attack over Christmas due to 'lack of access' to hospitals: Study
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Chest pain is a typical symptom of a heart attack.
ST FILE PHOTO
The link between the Christmas holidays and an increased risk of cardiac arrest have always been attributed to the colder and more difficult weather in winter months.
But new research from the University of Melbourne said it could be more a lack of access to hospitals, along with stress and poor diet, that causes heart attacks to be at their most frequent during the festive season, reported British news outlet The Independent on Boxing Day.
The researchers analysed 25 years' worth of death records mentioning heart attacks between Christmas and the first week of January, and that in summer months in the southern hemisphere.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, revealed a 4.2 per cent increase in heart-related deaths occurring out of hospital during the Christmas period in New Zealand, where Christmas occurs in the height of summer, so researchers were able to separate any "holiday effect" from the "winter effect".
According to The Independent, the victims were also younger during this time - with the average age of cardiac death at 76.2 years compared with 77.1 during other times of the year.
Lead author and researcher at the Centre for Health Policy at the University of Melbourne, Josh Knight, said it was important to understand whether restricted access to healthcare might be combined with other risk factors such as emotional stress and alcohol consumption to contribute towards the rise in cardiac deaths.
"The Christmas holiday period is a common time for travel within New Zealand, with people frequently holidaying away from their main medical facilities," said Mr Knight.
Those with terminal illnesses may also be more likely to fight to live until Christmas Day, he said, a theory that has been both confirmed and disproved in other studies.
The symptoms for heart attack can be different for both men and women. Typical symptoms include chest pain, sweating, nausea and vomiting.
The NHS recommends that victims of heart attack rest while waiting for an ambulance to arrive and for one aspirin tablet (300mg) to be taken if easily available.
