Holidays & Heart Attacks: Prepare Yourself and Prevent a Significant Health Issue From Occurring During This Holiday Season!

Prepare Yourself and Prevent a Significant Health Issue From Occurring During This Holiday Season!

Holiday Stress - Dr Philip Young Seattle

Recently, during the holidays, I noticed that there were a lot people having major health issues in my circle. I had a colleague whose Uncle had a massive Heart Attack and then died. I had a client whose mother recently had a stroke. In the news, George Michael passed away on Christmas from Heart Failure and Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia from Star Wars, died after having a massive heart attack while on a plane.

This obviously made me think. Is there a peak in major health issues during the Holiday Season? The answer is an emphatic, Yes! In one study, University of California-San Diego researchers looked at data on more than 53 million deaths, finding that cardiac deaths rose nearly 5% on Dec 25, Dec. 26, and Jan. 1. Deaths from other diseases and causes also increase at holiday time, but not as much, says lead author David Phillips. He estimates that there are 2,000 extra deaths annually, mostly heart-related, linked with Christmas and New Year's.

Here are a few links to learn more about this phenomenon

Why does this happen?

Based on my own research & from a doctor's point of view, this information is not too surprising. During the holidays, it is a time to see old friends and family. These people are usually the people you have known the longest. In these relationships, you have a lot of history, events, and, most importantly, the deepest & strongest emotions. Often the holidays bring emotional levels up including, especially stress.

Stress Factors, Players - Dr Philip Young Seattle

What are the physiological consequences of elevated Stress?

Stress increases your cortisol levels and along with that, your fight or flight response is initiated and stimulated further. Cortisol is a big player in activating your sympathetic nervous system and the release of norepinephrine. The sympathetic nervous system, along with Norepinephrine, leads to blood vessel constriction, elevated blood pressures, strain on the heart & constriction of heart vessels, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, organ damage etc. In addition, another fascinating physiological effect brought on by stress, is that the body causes your blood to clot more by increasing clotting factors and promoting the clotting cascade. This is an evolutionary protective mechanism to preserve blood loss from potential injury. Blood clotting is central to forming a clot on a plaque within the heart's own blood supply. This clot can block the blood vessels to the heart leading to what we know as a heart attack.

Heart Attack Prevention:

So why are we sending this to you? Well we wanted you to be aware of this so you can protect yourself & your loved ones. Here are some tips for heart attack prevention and also avoiding major health issues during the Holiday Season. Again, remember always consult with your own physician before doing any of these tips:

Decrease Your Stress Levels. If you need to, avoid the confrontation or event altogether if you feel it will add to your stress levels.
Postpone discussing an event or argument until after the Holidays. Wait for the stress levels & stress body factors to decrease so you can handle it better.
Stay hydrated. Hydration keeps your blood thinner and research has shown this could potentially prevent a major heart attack and stroke.
Consider taking 1-2 doses of aspirin during the 2 weeks of the busy holiday season. This will counteract the pro clot forming stress state.
Consider drinking 1-2 alcoholic drinks a night (this is controversial). Research has found some evidence that this can lead to decrease strokes, heart disease, and even cancer. Here is helpful, informational link: http://www.medicaldaily.com/7-health-benefits-drinking-alcohol-247552
Exercise can help in moderation. Physical activity can fight stress by helping the brain release feel-good chemicals, endorphins, that counteract the bad ones.
Get a lot of sleep and rest. Lack of sufficient sleep makes us more susceptible to stress and more likely to suffer from depression and other serious mental health complaints, i.e. more stress.
Consider some meditation techniques. Research suggests that daily meditation may alter the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress.
Watch comedy and Laugh! Laughter & happiness lowers cortisol, your body’s stress hormone, and boosts brain chemicals called endorphins, which help your mood and helps you fight off infections, cancers, etc.! Here is a link to learn more about Endorphins: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/13/health/endorphins-exercise-cause-happiness/.