Your risk of a heart attack may peak during the holiday season.
The holidays are often a time of excess, which is not good for your heart.
Whether you’re attending holiday parties or visiting with family, there are plenty of opportunities to indulge in food and alcohol. It’s fine to indulge from time to time, but excess amounts of food and alcohol can have serious effects on your health.
Holiday heart syndrome, irregular heartbeat, and atrial fibrillation are more common after bouts of binge drinking. This is known to occur even in healthy individuals.
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Episodes of cardiac rhythm disorders usually follow heavy weekend or holiday bouts of drinking. Hospitalizations for heart rhythm disorders are most common between Sunday and Tuesday around year-end holidays. This relationship is not observed in other alcohol-related illnesses.
Some studies have found that the risk of heart attack spikes by 15% on the Christmas and New Year holidays. The risk also increases on New Year’s Eve and other midsummer holidays, like the 4th of July.
Fortunately, holiday heart syndrome tends to go away after bouts of drinking. When people stop drinking, holiday heart syndrome tends to resolve itself. If you notice a faster than normal or fluttering heartbeat while drinking, consider cutting back on your alcohol intake.
From alcohol to caffeine to supplemental vitamins to exercise, everything in moderation is a good rule to follow. Try not to overdo anything. Holiday heart syndrome illustrates this rule very well.
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Alcohol and Heart Health
Alcohol is known to affect the nervous system and many other functions in the body, which have the potential to cause irregular heartbeat.
In addition to alcohol consumption, the holidays may also affect the heart in different ways. Financial problems, buying gifts, and hosting friends and family can also cause added stress during this time. Diets can also worsen during
