Heart attacks are more likely the day you might suspect

Researchers have found yet another reason to dislike Mondays: Serious heart attacks are more likely to occur on this day, according to evidence presented recently at the British Cardiovascular Society conference. Doctors from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland analyzed data from 10,528 patients in Ireland and Northern Ireland who were admitted to hospital between 2013 and 2018 with an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, also known as like STEMI. . According to the cleveland clinic, this type of heart attack involves a total blockage of one of the main arteries supplying the heart. Between 2.5% and 10% of patients with STEMI die within 30 days.

By looking at the days of the week that patients were admitted, the researchers “found a strong statistical correlation between the start of the work week and the incidence of STEMI,” says cardiologist Jack Laffan, for scientific alert. More than 1,650 patients presented to the hospital on a Monday, resulting in a 13% increased risk of this type of serious heart attack occurring on that day of the week. STEMI admissions were also above average on Sundays, though “not enough to be statistically significant,” according to Science Alert, which suggests that “the added stress of returning to work after the weekend” is involved. Although the study did not explore possible reasons for the findings, Laffan says that “it is reasonable to assume a circadian element” based on previous research.

According Harvard Health, “when people’s behavior or environment is out of sync with their internal clock, it’s known as circadian misalignment” and “this phenomenon may explain why heart attack rates spike on Monday mornings and the week after the start of summer time”. TO study 2017 of more than 156,000 patients in Sweden also showed a higher incidence of heart attacks on Mondays, with the authors suggesting that added stress was a factor. British Heart Foundation Chief Medical Officer Nilesh Samani is now calling for an investigation into “what it is about certain days of the week” that make serious heart attacks more likely. “Doing so could help doctors better understand this deadly condition so we can save more lives in the future,” says Samani. (Read more myocardial infarction stories.)