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Holiday Heart Hazards Some studies indicate death rates from heart attacks and stroke spike during the holiday season. Here’s what you need to know to keep you and your loved ones healthy 
Visions of sugarplums more often greet the arrival of holiday celebrations than thoughts of heart attacks and strokes. Researchers, however, have dubbed the rise of heart-related incidents during the coming months as “Merry Christmas Coronary and Happy New Year Heart Attack.” “It is not uncommon to see a heavier congestion in the hospital during the Christmas and New Year’s period of time,” Keith Churchwell, M.D., associate director of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, says. A national database, which details the over 53 million American deaths that have occurred since 1973, reveals a peak of heart-disease-related deaths in December and January. Those numbers spike on Christmas and New Year’s Day. According to Churchwell, many people begin suffering symptoms prior to the holidays, but put off a doctor visit to avoid receiving ill-timed bad news. “They do so because of obligations at home,” he says, “not wanting to spoil holiday fun, not wanting to deal with the possibility of going to the hospital and being taken care of over the holiday period.” During this time many people also workout less and eat more, which are also causes. Cindy Osborn, a clinical dietician at the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, says an eight to 10 pound weight gain over the holidays is not an unusual occurrence. “This would be the equivalent to two day’s worth of calories for a woman who was trying to lose weight, Osborn says. “Some people have spent a significant amount of time over the year trying to meet their cardiovascular goals and when the holidays arrive, they fall off their programs,” Churchwell says. “It’s the holiday time, you get very busy, the amount of time you spend eating out and eating over at friends’ and family becomes more than usual. Finding excuses not to stay on an exercise regimen can be easier to do.” Increased consumption of alcohol can lead to irritation of the heart muscles, especially the atrium, which can lead to an abnormal hear rhythm. And, with so much change in routine, it’s easy to forget to take medicines such as high blood pressure pills and blood thinners. Churchwell says to enjoy the holiday celebrations, but don’t eschew healthy habits altogether. “If you’ve been taking a daily walk, then that’s a walk you can take with your family before or after holiday dinner,” he says. “After the holidays it’s difficult to get back to your regular exercise and diet routine, and that puts weeks and months behind what was, hopefully, a very good regimen of decreasing your cardiovascular risk with exercise, diet and risk modification.” Osborn, who says the typical holiday meal tallies between 2,800 and 3,300 calories, offers these tips for maintaining heart health during the holiday season: • Don’t try to diet to lose weight during the holidays. Rather, set a goal of maintaining weight. • Pick one day to eat what you want; just don’t make it last four days. • Avoid saving calories for an evening event so you are not tempted to overeat due to hunger. • Try new foods rather than going for chips and dips. If it’s • Don’t go to a party hungry. An hour before the party, have a snack high in protein such as yogurt, fruit, or cheese. • Turkey is a good choice – it’s lean. Eggnog and alcohol, on the other hand, have lots of calories. • Stay away from the buffet table. Fill your plate once and step away rather than hanging around, nibbling. • Take a toothbrush with you. Once you eat, brush your teeth and then keep a beverage in your hand to sip on. • Eat slowly and engage in conversation to slow down the process of eating. It takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the signal that it’s full. • If you take something to the party, modify it to make it low fat so there is at least one item that is safe to eat.
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