“Holiday Heart" is a real thing
‘Tis the season for holiday merriment, but along with that merriment comes a whopping dose of stress. It’s also a time for gatherings with friends and family that usually includes an overindulgence of salty and sweet foods and more than a couple of adult beverages. That is an unhealthy combination that can take a toll on your heart.
Studies show that during the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, visits to emergency rooms for cardiovascular events increase compared to other times of the year. There’s even a term, “holiday heart syndrome,” coined by Philip Ettinger, MD, in 1978 for those who overindulge on food and alcohol during the holidays.
“It’s true, we do see an increase in heart events during the winter months,” said Cardiologist Peter Chiotellis, MD, at the Heart Center on Cape Cod in Hyannis. “We definitely see a spike in the instances of heart attacks and we see exacerbation of heart failure. The other main one would be atrial fibrillation.”
As much as we all love the holidays, they can be very stressful for a variety of reasons, he said. There are always too many things on people’s to-do lists, whether it’s shopping, decorating, entertaining or attending parties. Family gatherings can be fraught if members don’t get along.
Even if family members do get along, many families haven’t seen each other for a couple of years due to the pandemic. It’s easy to relax and overindulge on food and alcohol when celebrating together after a long hiatus, he said.
“We see excessive changes in eating habits, especially the consumption of salt,” Dr. Chiotellis said. “Most of the treats we have during the holiday season lead to exacerbation of heart failure. People retain more fluids because they aren’t as focused on their health as much as they are on being with family.”
Desserts, Sleep and Medications
The temptation of holiday desserts is also strong at this time, he said, “but when people have coronary artery disease, high blood sugars is just a set-up for a heart attack. Excessive alcohol is a known contributor to atrial fibrillation as well.”
Dr. Chiotellis also suspects that when schedules get busy, people may not be as compliant with taking their medications, which can worsen existing heart disease and hypertension. Stress and being overly busy can also lead to trouble sleeping, which Dr. Chiotellis said is an additional risk factor.
“We know that people who get less than six hours of sleep are more prone to cardiac events,” he said. “Sleep allows your body to repair from inflammation, and heart disease is an inflammatory process.”
Overexertion is another risk. Even though we all dream of a white Christmas, overdoing it while shoveling snow is another known cause of heart attacks.
This year inflation is also taking a toll on bank accounts, which leads to higher stress.
Dr. Chiotellis advises patients that moderation is the key to all things. Patients also need to make sure they are taking all medication as prescribed and monitor symptoms like fluid retention, sudden weight gain or shortness of breath. If you do have any of these heart symptoms, or if you have chest pain, don’t hide those symptoms in a misguided effort to not “ruin” the holiday for your family, he said. Seek medical help immediately because your life could depend on it.
Taking time to exercise regularly, not only keeps your heart healthy, but also helps reduce stress and helps you to sleep better, he said.
“The most important thing is reducing stress,” he said. “Try not to do everything and take time to relax. I think that what happened during COVID is that we realized the more important things in life and [should] focus on those. Really, it’s just about being with family.”
