More people die of heart attacks on Dec. 25 than any other day of the year, according to a 2004 study published in an American Heart Association journal.

The research team led by David Phillips, professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego, discovered that following Christmas Day, the day after Christmas and New Years Day have the second- and third-most heart attack deaths, respectively.

‘There are very sharp spikes in mortality, not only from heart disease, but from non-heart disease as well, on Christmas and New Years,’ he said. ‘This is particularly evident if you look at deaths that occur very rapidly.’

The published research provided 10 possible explanations for the sharp increase in deaths.

‘The strongest explanation so far is that there is an inappropriate delay in seeking medical care to avoid disrupting the holiday,’ he said.

Other evaluated explanations included a change in diet and alcohol consumption, the theory of an unconscious postponement of death and emotional stress associated with holidays.

‘One we were not able to eliminate is that around the holidays there is a change in medical staff,’ he said. ‘Senior staff often takes time off, so junior medical staff members are on duty.’

Phillips explained that for an illness that requires rapid skilled response, the junior staffers may not be able to handle the situation adequately.

The size in the spike of holiday deaths is slowly increasing, Phillips said.

‘Because this risk factor is growing with time, it seems particularly

important to investigate it and control it,’ the report stated.

Published on November 28, 2006 at 12:00 pm