How To Protect Yourself From A Morning Heart Attack
You may have heard that early morning is when your risk of having a heart attack is greatest.
Early-day heart attacks are not only more frequent, they are deadlier. They are 20% more likely to kill you.i
Doctors have never known exactly why people are more prone to heart attacks in the morning. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London set out to solve the mystery.
They collected blood at different times of the day from seven healthy volunteers and 16 patients with heart disease.
They were looking for differences in the level of a group of molecules called specialized pro-resolving mediators .
They are produced from omega-3 fatty acids. These are the heart-healthy compounds in fish oil and certain foods like fish, nuts, pastured eggs, and grass-fed animals.ii
Why Morning Heart Attacks Are Common
SPMs are involved in controlling the behavior of white blood cells and platelets in the bloodstream. They contribute to blood clot formation and inflammation in the arteries. Both lead to heart attacks and strokes.iii
The researchers found that subjects without heart disease had increased levels of SPMs during the early morning hours. The level peaked around 7 a.m. This prevented the formation of clots that have the potential to block arteries.
Blood samples from subjects with heart disease told a different story. Their level of SPMs in the morning was only one-third of that in people without heart disease. And their arteries contained more clots.
How to Get SPMs
Heart Disease Occurs More Often As Canadians Age
The prevalence of diagnosed ischemic heart disease increases as people age and is higher among men than women in all age groups.
Similar patterns are observed for acute myocardial infarction and heart failure . For instance, the prevalence and incidence of acute myocardial infarction among men 2544 years of age are on average about four times higher than those of women in the same age group. Nonetheless, as women and men get older than 65 years old, the gap in prevalence and incidence lessens. In fact, in 2012/13, there is almost twice as many women aged 85 years and older newly diagnosed with ischemic heart disease than men of the same age. As women live longer than men, they are more likely to be diagnosed with a heart condition in the old age.
Figure 4: Prevalence of ischemic heart disease among people aged 20 years and older, by sex and age group, Canada,* 2012/13
* Data from Yukon were not available. Notes: The 95% confidence interval shows an estimated range of values which is likely to include the true value 19 times out of 20.: Public Health Agency of Canada, using Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System data files contributed by provinces and territories, May 2016.
What Should I Do If I Wake Up Anxious In The Morning
There are also self-care strategies you can use right when you wake up feeling anxious. This includes: Exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself in the morning, especially if you are dealing with an excessive amount of worry when you wake up. Any physical activity, such as taking a walk, can:
Heart Attacks in the Morning Are More Severe. Study Shows Heart Attacks in the Morning Are More Serious Than Those in Overnight Hours. From the WebMD Archives. April 27, 2011 The most common time of day for heart attacks is the morning, and now new research suggests that morning heart attacks are also the most serious.
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Do Preventative Testing And Know Your Risk
Aside from staying active, keeping your weight down, and not smoking, Agatston also recommends learning about your risk early and taking the proper steps to make sure your health is in good standing. “We believe in preventative testing, like knowing your coronary calcium score and insulin levels,” he says. “By learning about your cardiac risk at a young age, you can make changes to prevent atherosclerotic plaques from forming in the blood vessels.”
Heart Disease Among Men And Women
The prevalence and incidence of diagnosed ischemic heart disease and heart failure are consistently higher among men than women . The difference by sex is more pronounced for the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction. On average, men are about 2 times more likely than women to have a first acute myocardial infarction. In addition, the gap between men and women in the overall number of acute myocardial infarction occurrences is steadily increasing over time. There were close to 80,000 more occurrences among men than women in 2000/01, compared to just over 200,000 occurrences in 2012/13.
Figure 1: Age-standardized prevalence of ischemic heart disease and heart failure , and acute myocardial infarction occurrence , by sex, Canada,* from 2000/01 to 2012/13
Age-standardized to the 2011 Canadian population. *Data from Yukon were not available. Notes: The 95% confidence interval shows an estimated range of values which is likely to include the true value 19 times out of 20. : Public Health Agency of Canada, using Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System data files contributed by provinces and territories, May 2016.
| 1.5 | 3.1 |
Figure 3: Age-standardized all-cause mortality rates among those with diagnosed ischemic heart disease and heart failure , and those who had an acute myocardial infarction , by sex, Canada,* from 2000/01 to 2012/13
| 26.3 |
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Heart pain image via shutterstock
Whats your morning routine? Maybe you get up early and squeeze in some morning yoga before work, or maybe you sleep through all three of your alarms because youre subconsciously stressed. Maybe you make yourself some coffee and eat a bagel at your kitchen table, or maybe you make some matcha tea to go. Whatever your morning looks like, theres one thing we all have in common early in the morning: our bodies could be preparing to have a heart attack.
In a new study, researchers at Brigham and Womens Hospital and the Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that the prevalence of morning heart attacks could be caused by your bodys internal clock.
The bodys circadian system, colloquially known as our internal clock, is responsible for regulating the timing of the feelings of wakefulness and tiredness throughout the day. The rhythm of the circadian system dips and rises throughout the day and results in increases and decreases in certain chemicals in your brain and cells in your blood.
Researchers found that at around 6:30 a.m. the circadian system sends out an increased amount of PAI-1 cells which blocks blood clots from breaking down. The more PAI-1 cells in the blood, the higher the risk for a blood clot that leads to a heart attack.
Dr. Frank Scheer, director of the Medical Chronobiology Program at Brigham and Womens and co-author of the paper, said in a press release:
Stress Is Likely A Major Factor
Dr. Chugh and his team studied data available from the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study, which began in 2002.
For the analysis, the investigators looked at the data collected from emergency medical reports in 20042014. During this time, 1,535 adults had sudden cardiac arrests and died as a result.
Of these people, note the authors, only 13.9 percent died between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. Contrary to older research and an ensuing widespread belief, the study found no evidence of a higher prevalence of sudden cardiac arrests on Mondays.
While there are likely several reasons to explain why more cardiac arrests happen outside of previously identified peak times, stress is likely a major factor, explains Dr. Chugh.
Because sudden cardiac arrest is usually fatal, we have to prevent it before it strikes, he adds.
We now live in a fast-paced, always on era that causes increased psychosocial stress and possibly, an increase in the likelihood of sudden cardiac arrest.
Dr. Sumeet Chugh
Dr. Chugh also shares some directions for future research, explaining, Our next steps are to conclusively determine the underlying reasons behind this shift, then identify public health implications as a result.
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Where Is The Most Common Place To Have A Heart Attack
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint. You may also break out into a cold sweat.
Why Is It Common In The Morning
Heart attacks are more common during this period because there is a sudden increase in demand on our heart, our coronary arteries are more constricted and our capacity to dissolve blood clots is diminished, a data published by the Philippine Council for health research and development.
According to a study published in a cardiology journal heart, the heart attacks that occurred in the morning hours were associated with about 20% more dead heart tissue.
You must know these signs and symptoms of Heart attack
In the early hours of the morning, your levels of PAI-1a protein that prevents your body from breaking down blood clots, a major contributor to heart attack and strokespike.
During the early morning hours, the blood platelets are stickier and increased adrenaline released from the adrenal glands can trigger the rupture of plaques in coronary arteries. Your body also sees a natural surge in cortisol, taxing your heart.
In a study performed on mice, it has discovered that the heart rate is slow in the morning with irregular heartbeats. As the heart loses the regularity of the beat, it cannot pump blood efficiently and a person can die suddenly. The data published in the journal Nature.
It further links the risk between a protein, KLF15, and the bodys natural circadian rhythm.
Early morning when you wake up, our body and heart need more supply of oxygen to awaken the relaxed cardiovascular system. Also, more energy needed to perform other activities.
- 46shares
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Causes Of Heart Attacks
The most common cause of a heart attack is coronary heart disease . Plaque builds up over time along the walls of the artery, causing the blood vessel to narrow. Eventually, the narrowing becomes severe enough to reduce the blood flow to the heart or block it altogether. A traveling through the blood vessels can also cause a heart attack by plugging the artery and blocking the blood flow.
What Is The Most Common Type Of Heart Attack
Coronary Heart Disease is the most common form of heart disease. It occurs when the arteries supplying blood to the heart narrow or harden from the build-up of plaque. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol and other substances found in the blood. This plaque build-up is also known as atherosclerosis.
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What Can I Expect If I Have A Silent Heart Attack
Everyones experience is a bit different based on how much their heart attack hurt their heart, but most people can get back to doing regular things little by little and have active lives.
Some people can get abnormal heart rhythms or heart failure, which can be serious. People who wait too long to get help for a heart attack run the risk of severe damage to their hearts and may not survive if they dont get help soon enough.
Is It More Common To Have A Heart Attack In The Morning
Heart Attacks in the Morning Are More Severe. Study Shows Heart Attacks in the Morning Are More Serious Than Those in Overnight Hours. From the WebMD Archives. April 27, 2011 The most common time of day for heart attacks is the morning, and now new research suggests that morning heart attacks are also the most serious.
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What Are The Risk Factors For Heart Attack
Several health conditions, your lifestyle, and your age and family history can increase your risk for heart disease and heart attack. These are called risk factors. About half of all Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking.2
Some risk factors cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history. But you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control.
Learn more about risk factors for heart disease and heart attack.
What Happens During A Heart Attack
A heart attack happens when one or more of your coronary arteries suddenly becomes blocked, stopping the flow of blood to the heart muscle and damaging it causing a heart attack. Lets back up and learn more about your coronary arteries.
Your coronary arteries are a network of blood vessels that surround your heart muscle and supply it with blood that is rich in oxygen and nutrients. Your heart muscle needs this continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients to function. Over time, sometimes one or more of your coronary arteries narrow because of a buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits on the inner walls. This is called atherosclerosis. Sometimes this plaque ruptures and forms a clot within the artery, which restricts blood flow to your heart. Blocked blood flow cuts off the needed supply of oxygen and nutrients, damaging or destroying that area of heart muscle.
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Female Heart Attacks Symptoms Are Subtler
Women need to be aware of the more vague symptoms they often get that indicate a heart attack. Other common symptoms you might experience include pain or discomfort in areas surrounding the chest, such as the neck and jaw, arm, shoulder, upper back, or stomach.
You might also experience vomiting and nausea, shortness of breath, sweating, indigestion, and unexplained fatigue. Your symptoms might feel more similar to what youd expect from the flu or acid reflux than a heart attack.
Heart Disease Deaths Vary By Sex Race And Ethnicity
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, and white men. For women from the Pacific Islands and Asian American, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic women, heart disease is second only to cancer.5
Below are the percentages of all deaths caused by heart disease in 2015, listed by ethnicity, race, and sex.5
| Race of Ethnic Group |
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When Time Of Day Does Myocardial Infarction Most Often Occur And What Mechanisms Are Involved
MI occurs most often in the early morning hours. Mechanisms that may explain this circadian variation include the morning increase in sympathetic tone leading to increases in blood pressure, heart rate, coronary vascular tone, and myocardial contractility the morning increase in blood viscosity, coagulability, and platelet aggregability and the increased morning levels of serum cortisol and plasma catecholamines leading to sympathetic overactivity, thereby resulting in increased myocardial demand.
How Is A Silent Heart Attack Treated
Unfortunately, many people dont even realize theyre having a silent heart attack because theyre not having obvious symptoms. But a heart attack of any kind is an emergency. You should call 911 right away even if you dont know for sure that youre having a heart attack.
A 911 operator can tell you if you should take an aspirin. Paramedics can give you medication while youre in the ambulance.
At the hospital, your healthcare provider will:
- Monitor your heart.
- Give you oxygen.
- Give you medicine for pain and to break up or prevent blood clots.
As soon as possible, your provider may do a coronary angioplasty to open a blood vessel that got too narrow or clogged. A stent can be put inside the blood vessel to keep it open so blood can flow through. In some cases, you may need a coronary artery bypass graft to create a way for blood to go around the clogged area.
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Whats The Most Likely Time Of Day To Have A Heart Attack
It is well established that heart attacks are most likely to occur in the mornings and within the first few hours of waking. One study showed that you are three times likely of suffering a heart attack at 9am as compared to 11pm. Proposed reasons for this include increase surges of stress hormones on waking and also the blood being less thin in the morning, both of which have been demonstrated. Also the well-documented morning peaks in heart rate, blood pressure and blood vessel tone may contribute.
The Burden At A Glance
In Canada, heart disease is the second leading cause of deathFootnote i after cancer, and a leading causeof hospitalization.Footnote ii Ischemic heart disease, the most common form of heart disease, is the first cause of years of life lostFootnote iii and the second leading cause of disability-adjusted life years lostFootnote iv .
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Preventing Holiday Heart Attacks
While researchers are still trying to pinpoint the exact reasons for the Christmas coronary, Kloner recommends these common-sense measures during this special time of year:
Pile on the layers. Try to avoid exposure to very cold temperatures. Dress warmly.
Take a load off. Steer clear of heart stressors, including too much physical exertion , anger, and emotional stress.
Make good choices. Avoid excess salt and alcohol. Too much drinking — for example, binge drinking — can lead to atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm in which disorganized electrical signals cause the heartâs two upper chambers to contract irregularly. Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.
Get a shot. Consider getting a flu vaccination. Infection and fever put extra stress on the heart.
Breathe. Go indoors during air pollution alerts but try to avoid breathing smoke from wood-burning fireplaces. If youâre visiting another home during the holidays, sit as far away as you can from a burning fireplace. Ultra-fine particles in the air can be bad for the heart.
Get help. If you feel chest pain or other symptoms, call 911 for emergency help. The stakes are high. So give yourself and your family a gift this season. Donât postpone treatment because you donât want to spoil the holiday merrymaking.