What day of the week do heart attacks most often occur?

Left and right people. Someone prefers a tortilla with onions, and someone without onions. Vacationers are divided into those who love the beach, and those who love to walk in the mountains. Or also those who just want to explore new cities and see monuments. Variety of taste. But if there is one thing that unites us with the vast majority of mortals, it is that i hate mondays. There are many reasons for this; but, as if that were not enough, a recent study suggests that this is the day when the most heart attacks.

This is an investigation that was presented a few days ago in Annual Conference of the British Society of Cardiology. The study has not yet been published in any journal, so we must read the results. Carefully. However, it is interesting as it provides information that may be helpful in preventing future heart attacks.

Researchers from Belfast Health and Welfare Trustthey studied 10,000 incomes on ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is produced in hospitals in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, between 2013 and 2018. The goal was to see what factors might have triggered these heart attacks, focusing on the days of the week. They saw that in the beginning there was a significant increase in these events, so this is another reason to hate Mondays. But interestingly, there was Peak on Sundaysso maybe a simple fear of returning to a routine is already a reason to suffer from the heart.

Another reason to hate Mondays

This study is based on data analysis only. Therefore, you find a significant increase in the number of heart attacks on Mondays, but do not explain why. However, its authors have a hypothesis pointing to circadian system as responsible as possible.

This system is responsible for regulating certain physiological parameters in 24 hour cycles. Known, for example, is its role in light-mediated sleep and the secretion of the hormone melatonin. During the day, when light enters through the eyes, melatonin secretion is suppressed, indicating that we should be awake. However, as it gets darker, the hormone begins to be released, creating the drowsiness needed to fall asleep at bedtime.

There are many other bodily functions that follow circadian rhythms. But, in addition, there are many systems that suffer from its malfunction. For example, if the regulation of the circadian system is disrupted, some types of cancer may occur, as well as heart attacks and other heart conditions.

Following a good circadian rhythm means having adequate and regular sleep hours. Therefore, the jump from the weekend, when we can stay up late and get up very late, to the first day of the week, when we sometimes do not get enough sleep, can wreak havoc on the circadian system. All this, in addition to the stress of knowing that we are returning to a work routine that is sometimes tiring and also affects sleep, further impairing the circadian system.

Stress and lack of sleep are some of the reasons we hate Mondays, but they can also lead to something worse, like heart attacks

What about heart attacks on Sundays?

Again, these scholars are not sure what happens on Sundays, but perhaps stress to get back to routine start manifesting on the last day of the weekend. After all, who did not feel sad some Sunday morning to think about tomorrow?

It’s hard enough to stop hating Mondays. However, if we want our brains to deal with them better and, above all, our circadian system does not suffer, we must try to have a routine weekend. This is not about getting up at seven in the morning and doing office work, but about getting enough sleep and doing other routine tasks, even if they are related to rest. In this way, perhaps we can help reduce those peaks of heart attacks, which, at least in Ireland, seem to be more than a mere coincidence.

Will we like these Mondays? No, but we will meet them with better health, and this is already a lot.