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Wonder Why Heart Attack Happens In The Morning?

By Suparna Chakaraborthy

Heart Attack
With rising level of stress, faulty lifestyle and diet, heart attack rates are on a rise. But if your notice or go through the statistics, you will see that most vulnerable time of heart attack is morning or during the last phase of sleep. There are very few cases of heart attacks during the day or during evening. Why do you think mostly heart attacks happen during morning?

Causes of heart attack during morning -

1.Dr. Roberto Manfredidni, explains that one of the major cause of heart attack is the imbalance between the oxygen demand and oxygen supply of the body. The problem happens when early in the morning, the body suddenly demands more oxygen for functions like getting up, clearing the bed, cooking etc. This set the peak of the adrenal hormone cortisol, the hormone which boosts the blood pressure level.

All these factors demand more oxygen from the body but at the same time early morning there is constriction in the vessels which restricts the required amount of oxygen to the heart. It also restricts blood flow to the heart. This imbalance in the demand and supply of oxygen is one of the reasons why heart attack happens during morning. Thus, it is recommended that one should give body sometime to get accustomed before stating off the regular activities in the morning.

2.The second cause of heart attack during morning is the low level functioning of fibrinolysis. At the time when the body is at rest, thrombi is a prevalent condition, the blood clots which block the blood vessels. To dissolves these blood vessels we have the fibrinolysis but during morning time, the activity of fibrinolysis in the morning is reduced. Thus, all the blood clots are not dissolved. This cuts off the required blood supply to the heart and at the same time due to early morning activities, the body demands oxygen. Thus, due to lack of blood flow and the higher demand of the body, heart attack is obvious.

3.The third cause of heart attack in the morning is dehydration. We usually tend to dehydrate while asleep and the body starts using water from the bloodstream. This makes it difficult for your cardiovascular system to pump blood and the stress caused by this increases the level of adrenaline level. The increased adrenaline level and the cardiovascular stress, results in attack.

4.Heart attack in the night usually happens in the last phase of the sleep called REM Rapid Eye Movement. It is in this phase of the sleep we see dreams and at this time our brains are at work demanding enhanced activity in the autonomic nervous system. In the REM stage of sleep, the nervous system works even more actively than when we are awake. This rapid function results in loss of oxygen and thus, higher demand. When the body is unable to meet with it, attack is inevitable.

These four causes of heart attack in the morning and in the last phase of sleep, is more true for those who have weak heart or are suffering nervous problems.

Story first published: Friday, April 1, 2011, 16:54 [IST]