The Christmas holiday period has long been linked to an increase in fatal heart attacks – but can festive indulging and annoying relatives really cause people to drop dead?
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A new study from the University of Melbourne has found that yes, Christmas could be to blame.
Researchers in the United States have previously found that deaths spike around Christmas, however they could not rule out weather as a factor due to it being the coldest time of the year and flu season in the northern hemisphere.
But the new research used data from New Zealand during their summer when death rates are low, and found a similar spike in deaths over the holidays.
It studied more than 738,000 deaths over a quarter of a century and found a 4.2 per cent increase in heart-related deaths occurring out of hospital between Christmas Day and January 7.
Those that died were typically slightly younger, with the average age of cardiac death 76.2 years during the Christmas period, compared with 77.1 years at other times.
But why are more people having heart attacks over Christmas? While the answer may appear straightforward, experts are yet to pinpoint the exact cause or causes.
The University of Melbourne researchers said there were a range of possible explanations for the "Christmas holiday effect", including "the emotional stress associated with the holidays, changes in diet and alcohol consumption, less staff at medical facilities, and changes in the physical environment" such as visiting relatives.
Lead author and researcher at the Centre for Health Policy at the University of Melbourne, Josh Knight, said terminally-ill patients may also will themselves to live in order to survive until Christmas Day
"The ability of individuals to modify their date of death based on dates of significance has been both confirmed and refuted in other studies, however it remains a possible explanation for this holiday effect," he said.
Mr Knight said more work needed to be done to understand if restricted access to healthcare facilities might combine with other risk factors to result in the spike in cardiac deaths.
He suggested patients might also hold back in seeking medical care during the holiday season.
"The Christmas holiday period is a common time for travel within New Zealand, with people frequently holidaying away from their main medical facilities," Mr Knight said.
"This could contribute to delays in both seeking treatment, due to a lack of familiarity with nearby medical facilities, and due to geographic isolation from appropriate medical care in emergency situations."
