You are more likely to suffer a heart attack at either midnight or just before dawn, according to a recently published report in the United States.
The study was undertaken after doctors at a hospital in California observed that many male patients suffered from congestive heart
failure early in the morning. “We decided to investigate the distribution of deaths to see if they really were more frequent at certain times of the day.” Said José Fabri Jr. author of the report.
The mechanism behind this type of pattern may lie in the daily biological ebb and flow of hormone levels and body processes known as circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm refers to patterns that occur on a 24-hour cycle such as sleeping, waking and hunger at certain times of the day. Earlier studies on patients who were not hospitalized have found that heart attack and sudden death tend to peak during the few hours after waking. For congestive heart failure, nighttime appears to be more risky, according to this study, which is the first to find gender differences in circadian patterns.
Fabri’s group studied the deaths of 508 patients – 308 men and 200 women ages 14 to 93, average age 59 – hospitalized with terminal heart failure. They received standard treatment for their condition, which includes bed rest, diet and treatment with ACE inhibitors, diuretics and digoxin for chest pain. The researchers found that men were most likely to die near dawn, between five and seven in the morning, and also between 11 pm. and midnight.
“Heart failure in men is usually more severe than in women. This clinical characteristic may affect circadian patterns, and may be related to our findings,” Fabri says "The body undergoes many cyclical changes during the day that can increase the risk of heart attack. Heart rate, blood pressure and probably even the heart’s ability to contract, peak between 7 am and noon. Blood levels of norepinephrine and renin activity – both of which help vessels constrict – also peak during that time.
Earlier studies have shown that congestive heart failure patients have abnormalities in their circadian patterns for blood pressure and heart rate. Heart rate and blood pressure generally “dip” overnight, but this is often not the case in people with heart failure.
Further studies are being planned to help clarify the mechanisms tied to these circadian patterns in heart failure death and perhaps even lead to the introduction of new drugs that could modify them.
The study was undertaken after doctors at a hospital in California observed that many male patients suffered from congestive heart
failure early in the morning. “We decided to investigate the distribution of deaths to see if they really were more frequent at certain times of the day.” Said José Fabri Jr. author of the report.The mechanism behind this type of pattern may lie in the daily biological ebb and flow of hormone levels and body processes known as circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm refers to patterns that occur on a 24-hour cycle such as sleeping, waking and hunger at certain times of the day. Earlier studies on patients who were not hospitalized have found that heart attack and sudden death tend to peak during the few hours after waking. For congestive heart failure, nighttime appears to be more risky, according to this study, which is the first to find gender differences in circadian patterns.
Fabri’s group studied the deaths of 508 patients – 308 men and 200 women ages 14 to 93, average age 59 – hospitalized with terminal heart failure. They received standard treatment for their condition, which includes bed rest, diet and treatment with ACE inhibitors, diuretics and digoxin for chest pain. The researchers found that men were most likely to die near dawn, between five and seven in the morning, and also between 11 pm. and midnight.
“Heart failure in men is usually more severe than in women. This clinical characteristic may affect circadian patterns, and may be related to our findings,” Fabri says "The body undergoes many cyclical changes during the day that can increase the risk of heart attack. Heart rate, blood pressure and probably even the heart’s ability to contract, peak between 7 am and noon. Blood levels of norepinephrine and renin activity – both of which help vessels constrict – also peak during that time.
Earlier studies have shown that congestive heart failure patients have abnormalities in their circadian patterns for blood pressure and heart rate. Heart rate and blood pressure generally “dip” overnight, but this is often not the case in people with heart failure.
Further studies are being planned to help clarify the mechanisms tied to these circadian patterns in heart failure death and perhaps even lead to the introduction of new drugs that could modify them.
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