Early morning preventive tips for the heart

Believe it or not strokes and heart attacks are most likely to occur in the early morning hours. Here is why that is so and ways you can take preventive measures.

• You might think that heart attacks and strokes would tend to strike when you're tired and worn out at the end of the day. In fact, both occur most frequently in the early hours of daylight. Heart attacks are 40 per cent more likely to occur between 6 a.m. and noon than at other times of the day, and more than 45 per cent of strokes occur during these hours.
• Similarly, sudden cardiac deaths are 29 per cent more common in the morning, and serious rhythm disturbances, heart failure deaths and ruptured aortic aneurysms follow a similar pattern.
• There are numerous reasons why the first few hours after waking up can be so hazardous. Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, as well as the male hormone testosterone, peak in the early morning in preparation for the day and cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Relative dehydration overnight and an increase in platelet "stickiness" increase the chance of developing blood clots, and the effects of medication taken before bed may be wearing off.

• So it makes sense to get up gradually and allow time for a leisurely start to the day. This includes treating yourself to a long, relaxing stretch and preferably a warm-up before you start moving about.
• Avoid sudden bouts of exertion first thing in the morning, especially if you are not particularly fit, and especially in very cold weather (which is considered another trigger for heart attacks and strokes).
• It's also important to stay as calm as possible and not to psyche yourself out or get upset about problems at work or the frustrations of commuting. Familiarize yourself with de-stressing techniques that you can practice, like meditation.
• Check with your doctor that any medications you take will last the entire night, and make sure to time your last doses of the day accordingly.