Health officials say Heart attacks spike during the holidays, and according to the American Health Association, there are more heart attacks and strokes than any other time of the year.
And according to the AHA, there are several reasons as to why.
“One out of two people in the United States of America has high blood pressure or elevated blood pressure, and one out of three should be on medication to control it.”
Eduardo Sanchez is the Chief Medical Officer for Prevention for the American Heart Association. He says it’s a deadly combo: not only is high blood pressure the leading cause of preventable heart attacks and stroke, during the holidays, people are prone to excessive eating and drinking, stress from travel and family gatherings, less exercise and sleep, and the pressure to get everything done. All of which, can elevate your blood pressure.
“So, what does one do,” Sanchez said. “One is to eat healthy that includes a lot of fruits and vegetables, and to lower you salt intake that you normal ingest. I think the key thing to say this season is; ‘moderation, moderation, moderation.”
According to American Heart Association research, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, accounting for roughly 650,000 Americans deaths each year.
