Heart Research UK has begun to raise awareness that the risk of heart attack rises approximately 15% over Christmas due to health issues and stress.
Christmas has always been a stressful time for many, from preparing the family celebrations to keeping protected against the increase of contagious illnesses that can increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, especially the elderly or those with other medical conditions.
There have been 6,661 excess winter deaths due to cardiovascular disease which included 2,820 deaths due to coronary heart disease in the UK according to reports, which follows the information put forth by Sweden of the heart attack risk rising by 15% over Christmas and New Years.
To raise awareness of the potential risks during the winter months, Heart Research UK has introduced the ‘A Healthy Heart Christmas’ campaign. It aims to help the public understand how overindulging in food and alcohol, an inactive lifestyle and large amounts of stress can be dangerous to your health. They have provided some resources on their website to help everyone enjoy a healthy Christmas without stress.