Deaths from heart crises spike during holiday season

By Guest Columnist Jim Pollard   

 
The risk of dying from a sudden, serious heart ailment increases from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and is highest on Christmas Day, the day after Christmas and New Year’s Day, say paramedics at AMR, a global medical response company. AMR medics recommend avoiding “triggers” for cardiac crisis, paying attention to your heart and calling 911 at the first sign of a problem.

Emergency medical teams call the increased risk “holiday heart.” While the term was coined in 1978, the first major study on holiday heart was published in 2004 in Circulation, an international journal for heart doctors.

In studying 53 million deaths nationwide between 1973 and 2001, researchers found, “The number of cardiac deaths is higher on December 25 than any other day of the year, second highest on December 26 and third highest on January 1.” On those days, there are about five percent more deaths from cardiac crisis compared to other days of the year. Studies since the first research have corroborated the original findings.

The risk rises due to drinking more alcohol than usual, holiday stress, skipping medications and making dietary mistakes. Cold weather strains the heart, but the spike also occurs in warmer states. Over-exertion is another factor.

A form of cardiac crisis paramedics often see with “holiday heart” is called atrial fibrillation, or “a-fib.” With a-fib, the heart does not pump blood effectively, because the upper and lower chambers of the heart are not beating in synch. Atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke and heart failure.

Too much salt, large meals, eating more fatty food than usual and insufficient rest can also contribute to holiday cardiac crises. Skipping exercise may be another factor.

Ryan Wilson, operations manager at AMR Central Mississippi, said, “This time of year, many people who feel pain in the chest or other symptoms of heart crisis don’t tell anyone, put off going to the doctor and even delay calling 911 because they do not want to disrupt holiday festivities. That delay can be fatal.”

“It is vital to recognize an emergency heart problem quickly, and call 911 immediately, continues Wilson. “Atrial fibrillation often comes with a feeling the heart is fluttering or palpitating. Heartbeat may feel rapid, racing, bounding, irregular and even too slow.”

“Other symptoms of cardiac emergency can include pain in the chest or jaw down the arm, shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, sweating or nausea.

 Women suffering a heart crisis are more likely than men to feel pain in the arms, back, neck or jaw. Women in cardiac crisis are also more prone to feel stomach pain and extreme tiredness, even if they’ve been sitting for a while. If symptoms such as these last more than five minutes, call 911 first and fast.”

CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY FOR A CARDIAC EMERGENCY.

Paramedics recommend calling 911 first – and FAST – if symptoms persist for more than five minutes.

Warning signs can include:

• Feeling like the heart is fluttering or palpitating
• Rapid, racing, pounding heartbeat
• Irregular or too slow heartbeat
• Pain in the chest
• Pain down the arm
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Sweating
• Nausea
 

Women may be more likely to feel:

• Pain in the arms, back, neck or jaw
•    Stomach pain
•    Extreme tiredness, even if sitting for a while

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jim Pollard, a paramedic since 1990, is in his thirty-fourth year in the ambulance field. Pollard is the media relations lead in central Mississippi for American Medical Response (AMR).