Morning Heart Attacks – Truth or Old Wives’ Tale?

You’ve likely heard it many times over the years – your heart is at higher risk in the morning. The truth or some old wives’ tale that has managed to hang around. If you said old wives’ tale you would be among many who think so but the fact is that there is truth to this statement.

In fact, a recent study confirms that the heart is more vulnerable in the AM. According to Brigham and Women's Hospital and Oregon Health & Science University that’s because the body’s circadian rhythm could contribute to the increases risk of having a heart attack. In the early morning hours, your PAI-1 levels spike. This is a protein preventing your body from breaking clots down, which are major contributors to both heart attack and stroke.

According to Eric Topol, M.D., director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute PAI-1 is not the only thing working here. During this time, your body has a natural surge in adrenaline and cortisol, which taxes the heart.

People who are up before 6 am could be hit with a double whammy with a surge in cortisol and PAI-1 around 3 am and lasting until early in the morning. This could coincide with the stress of getting to work on time and taking care of what needs to be done in those early morning hours.

This not only paints a clear picture about cardiovascular disease the #1 killer of both men and women. These discoveries could eventually lead to the creation of a new drug that targets PAI-1 or other proteins that researchers might identify in the future.

Case Cardiovascular Research Institute at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Director Mukesh Jain, MD is the researcher behind this finding. Jain says, “What it suggests is that if perhaps one could boost the levels of this protein in the heart at the right time, like in the early morning hours, that could be helpful.”

Another study found another link in a protein called KLF15, which decreases when we get up early and it is directly linked to SCD (Sudden Cardiac Death). Experiments with lab mice where KLF15 was suppressed in the hearts of the mice saw an increase in sudden death. Ongoing research also found patients that have heart disease have much lower levels of this protein.

For now, don’t let your alarm clock take the full blame. Your behavior plays a bigger role in controlling your health than the time of day does. For example, exercising for 30 minutes at least five times a week, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, getting proper sleep, and even taking an HGH supplement like Genf20 Plus, Genfx or Sytropin, which can offer a number of benefits including reversing organ damage, reducing cholesterol and blood pressure.

If you can change your workout from early morning to later in the day that’s great. However, if early morning is the only time you can get your workout in then don’t stop. Just start slow and build up. Morning exercise is better than no exercise.

You should have your cholesterol checked by your doctor annually and take your blood pressure regularly. According to a study at the Medical University of South Carolina, doing these two things can cut your cardiovascular risk by 50 percent. German researchers say that shedding just 10 pounds can reduce your blood pressure by 10mm hg, which is around a 10 percent drop.

Don’t worry too much if your blood pressure is a bit off unless you continuously see those higher numbers. False positive can happen. Six to ten readings will give you a better job of assessing your true blood pressure reading.

Cardiac arrest is different than a normal heart attack. The heart’s electrical system has a problem that triggers a heart attack. Because the electrical system of the heart is involved, just CPR can’t revive you. A defibrillator is necessary to restart the heart. With a heart attack, the victim is awake while and know they are having the warning signals. Whereas with cardiac arrest it’s abrupt, the person collapses and is already clinically dead before intervention occurs.

Taking care of your heart should be your first priority. Even with the knowledge that morning increases your risk of getting a heart attack what is more important is making sure you take good care of your heart health you see your physician for regularl checkups or if you are having any symptoms that concern you.