Fatal heart attacks are more likely to occur at the start of the working week than at any other time, according to a report released on Monday (June 5) by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), citing data presented at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference in Manchester. Doctors from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland examined data from nearly 10,000 patients hospitalized with the most deadly type of heart attack, an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), between 2013 and 2018.
STEMI is caused by a total blockage of a major coronary artery. The researchers discovered a surge in STEMI heart attack rates at the start of the work week, with rates highest on a Monday. Till now, scientists have been unable to explain why this “Monday Blue” phenomenon occurs.
Previous research has revealed that heart attacks are more likely on Mondays, and this has been linked to circadian rhythm – the body’s sleep or wake cycle.
In UK 30,000+ are hospitalized due to STEMI yearly
Every year, about 30,000 people in the United Kingdom are hospitalized due to STEMI. According to the BHF research, there are more than 30,000 hospital admissions due to STEMI in the United Kingdom (UK) each year, and it requires emergency assessment and treatment to prevent damage to the heart, which is typically conducted with emergency angioplasty.
What do experts think?
“We’ve found a strong statistical correlation between the start of the working week and the incidence of STEMI. This has been described before but remains a curiosity,” Cardiologist Dr. Jack Laffan, who led the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust research, said.
Dr. Laffan said that the mechanism is likely multifaceted and that it is logical to assume a circadian component based on past research.
Meanwhile, the BHF’s Medical Director, Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, stated that the study adds to the body of information around the timing of particularly serious heart attacks, “but we now need to unpick what it is about certain days of the week that makes them more likely.”
“Someone is admitted to hospital due to a life-threatening heart attack every five minutes in the UK, so it’s vital that research continues to shed light on how and why heart attacks happen,” Samani said.