World Heart Day: Give New Lease of Life to your Heart
Why are cardiac arrests more likely to occur early in the morning, especially in winter?
Often many heart patients present with cardiac arrest or a heart attack early in the morning. It is due to the release of certain hormones in the body. For example, in the early morning, around 4 am, our body experiences the release of cytokinins which can cause arrhythmia and increase the likelihood of sudden cardiac arrest.
During the day, everyone is active, alert, and efficient, while at night, having a good amount of energy, we go into a much-needed sleep. The parasympathetic system takes over, and the body is relaxed. But our biological clock activates the Sympathetic Nervous System in the early morning hours, leading to a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. This rise in heart rates and blood pressure makes the cardiovascular system more irritable and prone to cardiac arrest during the morning hours.
As a result, most cardiac arrests occur between 4, and 10 am. Secondly, blood platelets are stickier during this time, helping quick clot formation following plaque rupture in coronary arteries.
The circadian system releases more PAI-1 cells in the morning, which prevent blood clots from breaking down. The higher the number of PAI-1 cells in the blood, the greater the chances of a blood clot leading to a heart attack or cardiac arrest.
Probably to counter this Sympathetic Surge, our sages preached getting from bed early at 4 am and indulging in yoga.
Morning time and the last stage of sleep are the riskiest times for heart attacks and cardiovascular emergencies, including sudden cardiac death, aortic rupture or aneurysm, pulmonary embolism, and stroke.
What are other contributory factors for heart attack?
Diabetes, hypertension, and regular smoking are the main risk enhancers. However, the current generation is seeing higher risks of heart attacks and cardiac arrests at an early age than before. Factors contributing to sudden cardiac arrests and increased incidences of sudden death are erratic lifestyles, disturbed sleep-wake cycles, increased mental/ psychosocial stress, alcohol intake, unhealthy dietary habits, and air pollution.
Why are heart attacks more frequent in winter?
There are several reasons for the same. Blood vessels dilate during exercise or physical activity, giving the body the extra oxygen it needs for that work. But in the cold, blood vessels constrict or shrink, compromising the supply to the heart.
It becomes especially concerning if coronary arteries are already diseased and partially blocked by built-up plaques.
Secondly, blood pressure rises during winter, increasing the heart load.
Also, people enjoy eating high-fat recipes during winter to keep worm which can not only throw diabetes out of control but also enhances plaque burden prompting heart attacks.
For good heart health, have at least 7-8 hours of sleep, maintain a relatively stress-free life, and create slow-paced morning rituals apart from consuming a healthy diet. Be especially careful during winters.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author and not of the Medical Dialogues. The Editorial/Content team at Medical Dialogues has not contributed to the writing/editing/packaging of this article.
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