Tis The Season for Heart Attacks

Thanksgiving marks the start of a season filled with opportunities to overindulge in food and alcohol that could put you at risk for a heart attack, says a New York cardiologist.

A typical holiday feast – complete with foods high in sodium, fat and cholesterol – can easily exceed 4,000 calories.

“Two hours after eating a heavy meal, a significant amount of blood flow goes into the gut to try and digest a lot of that food. When there’s a significant diversion of the blood flow, there’s an increased risk for heart disease during that period of time,” said Evelina Grayver, MD, director of the coronary care unit at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset.

Foods high in salt add to the problem by causing fluid retention, which causes the heart to pump harder, Dr. Grayver said.

People who have heart disease face the highest risk of having a heart attack after eating a super-sized meal.

“Besides overeating, people tend to over drink during the holidays,” said Dr. Grayver. “Over drinking means anything more than three drinks for women and more than four drinks for men, which significantly increases the risk of heart arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats.”

Add into that mix denial and you have a recipe for a life-threatening medical emergency. It’s not uncommon for people to dismiss chest pain as indigestion caused by an extra helping or two.

“During the time of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and even New Years, the emergency room is the emptiest,” said Dr. Grayver. “It’s not because people stop having disease during that time, it’s because they delay their care.”

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