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Date: 11/17/2017
SPRINGFIELD – Ok, let’s talk turkey and how heart attacks spike during the holiday season.
First of all, don’t blame the turkey. It’s not the delicious bird alone that’s the culprit. Initially, it was thought to be just alcohol.
Holiday Heart Syndrome is recognized by physicians as a very real and potentially deadly phenomenon. It was back in 1978 when Philip Ettinger initially described the syndrome as the occurrence, in healthy people without heart disease known to cause arrhythmia, of an acute cardiac rhythm disturbance known as atrial fibrillation, after excessive alcohol intake. He came up with the name since episodes of these cardiac arrhythmias – which can happen in regular and non-regular drinkers – typically occurred after weekends or holidays.
Today, independent of the effects of alcohol, doctors are looking at the bigger picture, which includes the stress and richer foods that can accompany Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and other holidays – all leading up to possibly suffering a heart attack.
“An unusually heavy meal that the holidays are known for, or at any time of the year, can put additional stress on the heart as your meal is digested, and overeating and overdrinking can increase your blood pressure and heart rate,” said Dr. Amir Lotfi, assistant chief, Cardiology Division, Baystate Medical Center, who further noted that these meals tend to be associated with very high salt intake, which can lead to high blood pressure.
Also, some research suggests that enjoying just one huge meal, despite previous healthy eating habits, is a bad thing and can quadruple the ordinary risk of a heart attack during the two hours after eating. The good news is that the risk is all but gone as the
clock strikes the third hour.
Dr. Quinn Pack, a preventive cardiologist in the Baystate Heart & Vascular Program, says it’s also important to look at the weight gain associated with overeating during the holidays.
“Some research suggests that much of the permanent weight gain in the average U.S. citizen is put on during the holidays. A typical person might gain 3 to 5 pounds during the holidays, but only lose 2 or 3 pounds in January. So, we end up keeping 1 to 2 pounds permanently, which can really add up over all the years,” said Pack.
“As a result, maintaining your weight, rather than losing weight, during the holidays is an excellent goal. Certainly, you want to enjoy yourself and the wonderful foods that are available to us at this time of year, but significant caution is also advised,” he added.
Pack suggests getting on the bathroom scale, reducing your portion size, and cutting back on any excesses so that you can avoid gaining even a little weight.
The Baystate preventive cardiologist also said not to forget “the stress that the holidays places on many of us.”
“My sage advice, and there is no medicine in it, is that it is better to simplify and emphasize family and friends rather than trying to create the perfect Norman Rockwell holiday,” said Pack, noting that stress leads to anxiety and the release of epinephrine into the blood system sometimes contributing to a rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Lotfi, who also serves as medical director of Inpatient Heart & Vascular and the Regional MI Program at Baystate, noted it is important to recognize the signs of a heart attack and not wait to seek help.
“All too often people wait to decide to go to the emergency room because they don’t want to ruin the holiday for others, putting them at risk for greater consequences,” said Lotfi.
The most common warning signs that you might be experiencing a heart attack include: chest discomfort or pain, upper body pain, stomach pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, lightheadedness, sweating, nausea and vomiting, and heart palpitations.
Unfortunately, heart attacks kill more people at home than in the hospital. If you can get to the nearest emergency room, your chances of dying from a heart attack go down dramatically. As a result, even if you aren’t absolutely sure that you are having a heart attack, the best course of action is to seek help immediately by calling 911.
For more information on the Baystate Heart & Vascular Program, visit baystatehealth.org/heart.