(Asian News Hub) – Heart diseases affect millions of people and are the second biggest cause of death across the globe.
Each year, millions of people die due to a heart attack, which happens when something blocks the blood flow to your heart, so it doesn’t get the oxygen it needs.
Also known as myocardial infections, symptoms of a heart attack include discomfort, pressure or pain in your chest or arm, indigestion, discomfort, sweating, upset stomach, vomiting, severe weakness, anxiety, fatigue, fast or uneven heartbeat.
However, symptoms can vary from one person to another. However, it can be difficult to predict when a person is most likely to suffer from a heart attack.But a particular study has found the answer to this complicated question (to some extent).
Monday Is The Day People Might Get A Heart Attack
But scientists have been successful to find about the day when most people might get a heart attack – MONDAY!
As per the study published in the American Heart Journal, most people are prone to getting a heart attack on a Monday. For the study, researchers analysed data from more than 1,56,000 hospitals for heart attacks for a total of seven years.
The findings revealed that the chances of having a heart attack elevate when a person is stressed, and Monday is considered to be a stressful day for most people. World Heart Day 2020: What it takes to live a heart-healthy life?
As per the study results, the rate of myocardial infarction (MI) was greater during the winter holidays or on Mondays. They also found that the chances of a person getting a heart attack are lower on weekends and during summer vacations.
The results show that people are at an 11 per cent higher risk of getting heart attacks on a Monday than any other day of the week.
Why Mondays?
Another reason could be your body’s clock is not aligned with your routine. Your body’s internal system us governed by a master clock called the circadian rhythm, which is responsible to keep your body in sync with the day and night cycle.
When or behaviour is out of sync with our internal clocks, it can lead to health problems, including a heart attack. This may also help explain why heart attacks are more likely to happen on a Monday.
According to Harvard Health, people tend to stay up later than usual on a weekend and then sleep late when the next day starts. It is a phenomenon known as ‘social jet lag.’ This causes a delay in the circadian rhythm because, on a Monday, you force your body to wake up on time. This misalignment can lead to elevated blood pressure levels and lead to changes in the nervous system function, which makes people more vulnerable to heart attacks.
Stress on a Monday is one of the biggest factors that could lead to a heart attack. When your stress levels are high, it causes the amygdala (part of the brain) to spike, which may trigger the bone marrow to produce more immune cells to fight stress. This could lead to inflammation, which, in turn, could hurt your arteries and heart.
What Can You Do?
As mentioned, one of the biggest contributors to heart diseases is unhealthy habits that throw your body’s natural rhythms out of whack.
Certain things you need to keep in mind include:
- Eat a healthy diet that contains all nutrients
- Avoid exposure to nighttime light exposure that may suppress the release of melatonin and disrupt your sleep
- From eating to sleeping to waking up, make sure you stick to a schedule
- Exercise regularly
- Try deep breathing or meditation
Talk to someone you trust or a professional about the stress
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