When the time moves an hour ahead, clocks are not the only thing ticking. Our hearts are too.
“Some of us are living with ticking time bombs, almost,” said Dr. Waddy Gonzalez, a cardiologist with Northern Nevada Medical Group.
Gonzalez is referring to a University of Michigan study that found heart attacks go up 25% several days following the spring time change.
“Days after daylight saving, and weeks after daylight saving there’s an increase in heart attacks,” he said. “My initial reaction is this is very interesting, and we have to look at the data better.”
Sleep does wonders for our bodies and our internal clocks. According to Gonzalez, our circadian rhythms are important to regulate hormone secretion, body temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism.
However, it is not accurate to believe ‘springing forward’ causes heart attacks.
“Association and causality are two different things,” he said.
The spring time change is associated with more cardiovascular issues. It does not cause them. Gonzalez believes many of us do not realize the conditions of our hearts and one little change can cause big issues.
“Some of us are living in such a fine balance that even a disruption of even one hour of sleep can cause these problems,” he said.
Chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, or low energy levels are all signs of a heart attack.
Gonzalez believes the amount of sleep is critical, however, so is quality. If hearing the news that time change and hospitalizations is heart-stopping, don’t panic. Just pay attention.
“We are not trying to create panic here,” he said. “But this is a reality that is being documented…this association.”
Speaking of associations, just as springing forward is associated with more heart attacks and strokes, the opposite goes for falling back.
“The opposite is also the same there is a decrease, especially during the first days after these events,” he said referring to the end of daylight-saving time in the fall.
When we gain an hour of sleep in November, the number of heart attacks, hospitalizations and strokes drops drastically.
