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Winter holidays increase heart risks

12/21/11

While families get together to celebrate the holidays this winter, health should be at the forefront of all Americans' minds, given that December and January are the peak months for cardiac deaths.

According to USA Today, heart attack deaths peak on three days of the year: Christmas, the day after Christmas and New Year's Day. Experts cite the cold weather and weaker immune systems likely being causes of health problems around this time of the year, but have not pinpointed exactly what causes the spike in holiday heart attacks.

David Phillips, a sociologist at the University of California-San Diego, studies illness patterns, and according to USA Today, he believes flu and pneumonia play a major role in the high rate of death of people with heart disease during the winter months.

According to Robert Kloner, a cardiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles and another authority cited by the news source, the cold weather can make blood vessels constrict, blood pressure rise and make the heart work harder, which could trigger changes in the blood.

Stress is also known to play a significant part in health during the holidays. USA Today offered tips to get through the winter that might help Americans, including continuing to take medicine, getting a flu shot, keeping warm, knowing strengths, keeping up good habits and never ignoring the warning signs of a heart attack.

Americans should also explore life insurance to prepare for unforeseen circumstances, with more than 1.5 million heart attacks occurring in the United States yearly, according to the Women's Heart Foundation.

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