Protect your heart through the holiday season

(HealthDay)—It’s never too soon to take steps to safeguard your heart health, and that includes being aware of seasonal heart attack triggers.

Researchers are trying to understand why, but studies done around the world have noted spikes in deaths from heart-related events during the holiday season.

Unlike deaths from the flu, they don’t seem related to cold weather. As one example, it’s summer down under at Christmas time, and yet the spike was seen in Australia as well as in the northern hemisphere. Rather, shared factors are the emotional stress of the holidays and unhealthy changes in diet, including too much alcohol.

Unfortunately, some people may simply dismiss the warning signs of a heart attack over the holidays because they’re busy with social obligations at home or, if they’re traveling or visiting loved ones, are reluctant to get medical care when away from their own doctor, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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