A recent study observed that serious heart attacks occur more frequently at the beginning of the week.
- A myocardial infarction can cause severe chest pain, which may be associated with paleness, malaise, anxiety, shortness of breath or nausea.
- Researchers in Ireland have seen a spike in heart attack cases earlier this week.
- According to the research, the origin of the increase in heart attacks at the start of the week is multi-factorial.
In case of myocardial infarction or heart attack, a patient usually experiences chest pain, which appears at rest or during exertion. It may be accompanied by pallor, malaise, nausea, anxiety and shortness of breath.
A rise in heart attacks at the start of the week
At the time of the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference in Manchester (UK), doctors from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have revealed that fatal heart attacks are more likely to occur at the start of the week.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers analyzed data from 10,528 patients Irishman admitted to hospital between 2013 and 2018 for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which occurs when a major coronary artery is completely blocked. The scientists then observed that rates of STEMI heart attacks were higher at the start of the week, particularly on Mondays. STEMI rates were also higher than expected on Sunday.
A potential multi-factorial origin
For the moment, the authors of the study have not been able to explain the causal link between heart attacks and the fact that they occur more frequently at the beginning of the week. “We found a strong statistical correlation between the start of the working week and the incidence of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. This phenomenon has already been described, but remains a curiosity. The cause is probably multifactorial, but based on what we know from previous studies, it’s reasonable to assume there’s a circadian element,” pointed out cardiac surgeon Dr Jack Laffan, who led the research at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
