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Ah, the holidays — it's a time that many people enjoy delicious feasts and treats and put healthy eating habits on hold for a little while (yummy goodies high in fat and sugar everywhere!). Some of us tend to drink more alcoholic beverages as well (eggnog spiked with bourbon and brandy, hot buttered rum, etc., etc.). And who has time for exercise when there is shopping to be done and parties to attend?
Wish it wasn't true, but these annual indulgences can lead to more than a need to lose a few pounds in the new year. Research has shown that more Americans have heart attacks during the holiday season, with distinct increases on Christmas and New Year's Day.
Several things could be contributing to this phenomenon, but most researchers including the Society for Cardiovascular and Interventions agree that major causes include drastic changes in routines and a significant upsurge in stress during the extra busy holidays.
Studies have also shown that increased stress raises the risk of a heart attack. Most heart specialists would agree that high levels of stress likely triggered many of the approximately 735,000 heart attacks that occur every year nationwide.
Another sobering statistic is that too many people with symptoms are not getting help in time to save heart muscle — or sometimes, their lives. Nationwide, the average patient arrives in the emergency department more than two hours after the symptoms start.
Additionally, not enough people call 911 when experiencing known heart attack symptoms. In Utah, data collected by MountainStar Healthcare hospitals for 2015 to date shows that many Utahns arrive at the emergency department in a private vehicle instead of an ambulance.
For example, only 29 percent of people with heart attack symptoms arrived at St. Mark's Hospital and Mountain View Hospital in an ambulance. Only 37 percent were brought to Lakeview Hospital and Brigham City Community Hospital by EMS teams. The numbers were a bit better at Ogden Regional Medical Center, where 61 percent were brought in an ambulance.
That still means that heart attack care was delayed for 59 percent of patients; perhaps with life-changing results. Utahns do not realize that the sooner a heart attack is diagnosed and treated, the less permanent damage would be done to heart muscles and the better the long-term outcome.
And this data only includes people diagnosed with the most severe form of heart attack called a STEMI. The percentages would likely be much higher if we included every patient who was treated in the ED for chest pain last year.
I would like to see all patients with heart attack symptoms like chest pain call 911. We won't know until an EKG is conducted whether the pain is caused by a STEMI or another heart condition.
–Karlene Marshall, Chest Pain Center coordinator, Brigham City Community Hospital
And, they may not have known that ambulances in communities throughout Utah are outfitted with 12-lead EKG technology that enables diagnosis of a heart attack by ED teams and heart specialists while the patient is being transported to the hospital. Our specialists have partnered with emergency medical service providers throughout Utah to significantly reduce the time it takes to diagnose and treat patients with heart attack symptoms.
When EMS begins diagnosis in the ambulance, the cath lab is generally activated earlier because the STEMI is confirmed before arrival at the hospital. Then, the blocked artery causing the heart attack is opened much sooner. When patients walk into the ED, diagnosis and treatment start later.
–Cydney Vandyke, Chest Pain Center coordinator, Lakeview Hospital
At MountainStar, we work closely with our EMS partners to more effectively reduce the time it takes to accurately assess, diagnose and treat a patient who is potentially experiencing a coronary event. And, we are taking greater advantage of the most effective and potentially life-saving time to treat heart attacks – during the critical early stages.
Despite this collaborative effort to improve heart care, people who live in our communities still need to do their part. That's why it is so important to recognize the warning signs of a heart attack.
Signs of a heart attack
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint
- Breaking out in a cold sweat or having sudden nausea
You can help to save a life – perhaps your own – by calling 911 if you or someone you know might be having a heart attack. But don't wait for those warning signs! Our heart specialists can help you to assess your risk for a heart attack, improve your health, or better yet, prevent all types of heart conditions. You can take action now by completing our online Heart Health Assessment and taking time to soothe those jingled nerves.
MountainStar is the only healthcare network in Utah to achieve Chest Pain Center Accreditations by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.
