The
severity of a heart attack – and subsequent recovery – depends on what
time of day the heart attack occurs, researchers say. Dr. Jay H.
Traverse, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott
Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis and physician researcher with
Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation and colleagues conducted an
analysis of 1,031 patients who had acute heart attacks. The study found
the size of a heart attack and subsequent left-ventricular function are
significantly different based on the time of day. The greatest amount of
injury to the heart occurs when individuals have a heart attack between
1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. The peak injury was 82% higher than that
recorded at the lowest time of an attack.
