The reason why heart attacks happen early in the morning has been identified

According to statistics, a heart attack usually happens early in the morning, at about half past six in the morning. As scientists have found out, this happens because of the body's biological clock. Human blood contains a protein that slows down the breakdown of blood clots, and the peak of this value occurs precisely in the early morning, experts note. The research was conducted jointly by employees of the University of Oregon and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

In the course of their research, the scientists studied the protein concentration in the body of twelve healthy volunteers for two weeks. In their study, the scientists wanted to find out what affects the protein level in the human body: daytime activity or the internal clock itself. The specialists were interested in the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, a protein that breaks down blood clots. The development of a stroke or heart attack directly depends on the level of this protein. As the author of the research project notes, the amount of protein in the blood increases in the morning hours, which is associated with human circadian rhythms (biological clocks). At the same time, human behavior at this time of day or external factors do not matter. Experts do not exclude that a person with an increased likelihood of complications from blood vessels and the heart may have improperly regulated protein levels (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1). The risk group included people with excess weight, diabetes, and heart and vascular diseases.

A heart attack is indicated by prolonged chest pain. According to statistics, only 30% of people admitted to hospital with chest pain are diagnosed with a heart attack. If the pain, which arose suddenly or gradually increases, passes in five to seven minutes, then it cannot be a heart attack. In one of the American hospitals, specialists have identified a connection between the duration of chest pain and a heart attack in a person. Cardiological problem markers are certainly important in assessing the risk of a heart attack, but they cannot show a 100% result and help in determining the diagnosis. This is where the duration of pain will help to more accurately determine the problem and provide timely assistance if necessary.

In this study, scientists analyzed data from more than 400 patients. About 40% of people had a heart attack, and on average, chest pain lasted for 2 hours. The rest had pain for about 40 minutes. Among patients whose chest pain lasted only a short time (about 5-10 minutes), heart attacks were not diagnosed, and no deaths were recorded in such patients.

Also, even earlier, scientists have established that the signs of a heart attack in men and women differ significantly. Almost half of women do not feel the typical chest pain during a heart attack, so the female half of humanity is recommended to take their health more seriously. About 14% of women aged 55 die from a heart attack because they were not given timely medical care.