Heart Attacks Risks are more likely in the morning
A new research has found that heart attacks are more dangerous in the mornings than at any other time of the day. Patients who had an attack between 6am and midday suffered a fifth more damage to their heart muscle than others those who had a heart attack later on.
This study was experienced on more than 800 heart attack patients, examining the possible association between the time of day that heart attacks happen and the levels of two enzymes in the blood. These enzymes are markers of damage to the heart tissue, and higher levels indicate larger areas of damage.
Patients who had a heart attack between 6am and noon, have higher blood levels of these enzymes than those who had heart attacks later in the day, with increases in peak levels of 18.3% and 24.6%. The researchers suggest that these patients had significantly larger heart attacks than those whose heart attacks occurred at other times of the day.
The study was well-analyzed and results were added to what is known about circadian rhythms (the body’s internal 24-hour cycle) and heart risk. The study has several factors that limit its interpretation, however, including the use of a surrogate marker for damage to the heart (enzyme levels), rather than looking at heart damage directly. There may also have been other factors affecting how much damage took place, for example, how quickly people received treatment due to the time of day of their attack.
Remember, whatever time of day a heart attack happens, the more quickly someone is treated, the less damage to the heart they will have.
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