A major medical study indicates that people are more likely to have a heart attack on a Monday, the start of the working week.
New research discussed at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference in Manchester on Monday last revealed the most likely times for a ‘STEMI’ (heart attack) to happen from 6am-10am on a Monday, or after a few days break from work.
STEMIs – a segment elevation myocardial infarction – are also likely to occur on a Sunday, with previous studies indicating that such heart attacks can be associated with a change in the circadian rhythm, that is, the body’s sleep and wake cycle. The changes in Summer and Winter time, when the clock can go forward or back an hour, also suggests a link to a higher occurrence in heart attacks/STEMIs.
The results presented on Monday last were the results amassed by doctors at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland which assessed data of 10,528 patients across Ireland (7,112 in the Republic, and 3,416 in Northern Ireland). These patients had experienced serious heart attacks and were thus admitted to hospital for emergency treatment between 2013 and 2018.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One, cardiologist Dr Jack Laffan, stated the cause of STEMIs are possibly multifactorial and when patients are admitted to emergency departments, frequently angioplasty is performed. This is a specific procedure to open the blocked heart artery.
Along with previous studies, the most recent study findings strengthen the correlation between the incidence of a STEMI and the start of the working week, all of which indicate a circadian element.
Professor Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), noted that in Northern Ireland, someone is admitted to hospital with a serious heart attack every 135 minutes.
Both experts felt the study could benefit doctors working at emergency hospital departments and help them to better/more quickly identify STEMIS and treat them accordingly.
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