Protect Your 'Holiday Heart'

This joyful time of year can also be dangerously stressful

- Beth Weinhouse

FOR ALL THE good things that happen around the holidays, there's one thing that's not so happy: The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that more deaths related to cardiac events happen on Christmas Day than any other day of the year. (That's followed by Dec. 26 and New Year's Day, according to one study.) Another study found that heart attacks peak on Christmas Eve, around 10 p.m., and tend to be most common in people older than 75.

"We don't know exactly what triggers this increase in heart attacks during the holidays. It's likely a combination of factors," says Johanna Contreras, MD, a cardiology specialist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Winter weather can contribute, as it restricts blood flow, but Dr. Contreras also points to holiday stress and the tendency to consume richer foods and more alcohol during the holiday season. Less regular exercise and physical activity may play a part too.

These different factors all make sense if you think about what's recommended for heart health all year round. Exercising, eating heart-healthy foods, limiting alcohol and controlling stress-all are part of healthy routines that can be forgotten over the holiday season.

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