Public warned of ‘Heart Attack Holiday’

Local

HEALTH experts are warning Filipinos to brace for the annual surge of heart attacks and cardiac emergencies during the Christmas season.

This, as holiday stress, heavy drinking, overeating, and unhealthy habits converge into what doctors call the “Heart Attack Holiday.”

Cardiologists and health officials say December and January consistently record spikes in heart-related illnesses and deaths, driven by lifestyle excesses, emotional stress, and pre-existing medical conditions that worsen during the festive period.

Dr. Myla Supe, Adult Cardiologist at the Philippine Heart Center, emphasized that the most common risk factors for heart attacks are “traditional, long-known, and largely preventable.”

“May mga traditional risk factors po tayo. Most of them high blood, may diabetes, mataas ang cholesterol, mataba, hindi nag-e-exercise, hindi kumakain ng tama,” Supe said.

Family history also plays a major role.

“Kung yung family niyo po mataas yung heart attack, stroke sa pamilya, malamang mamanahin niyo yan,” she added.

Supe warned that the burden is worsened by unhealthy habits that children often inherit from adults, not biologically, but by imitation.

“The bad habits—paninigarilyo, pag-inom—namamana kasi nakikita ng mga bata yan.”

Vaping and alcohol risks: ‘Di dahil electronic, ligtas’

Contrary to the belief that vaping is harmless, Supe stressed that it can also trigger heart problems.

“Ang vaping kasi akala po nila dahil vape po siya, electronic siya, wala pong usok, so hindi delikado. But that’s already been proven na pwede din po siyang maka-cause ng iritasyon sa puso kaya ina-atake po,” she said.

She also noted that alcohol-induced inflammation can destabilize the heart’s rhythm.

“Alcohol causes inflammation so nagagalit ang puso kasi biglaan eh… Kung magkakaroon ng irregularity ng tibok ng puso, delikado ‘yun kasi pwede magdulot ng stroke kagad agad.”

DOH: Stress hormones can trigger heart attacks

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa explained that holiday stress, both emotional and physical, activates the body’s intense “fight-or-flight” response, including a rapid surge in heart rate.

“May tinatawag na stress response ang body so increase ang heart rate mo. Stress also triggers hormones… at ‘yun ang nagka-cause ng mataas na heart rate,” Herbosa said.

For people with chronic illnesses or clogged arteries, this could be fatal.

“Kung ikaw ay may chronic illness, barado na yung ugat mo, ay matutuluyan ka sa heart attack or brain attack.”

The DOH earlier warned that prolonged stress can trigger sudden spikes in blood pressure, chest tightness, and worst-case heart attacks, especially among individuals who already have hypertension or high cholesterol.

‘Holiday spike’ in heart cases: A yearly trend

Hospital data consistently show increases in heart disease cases during the December–January period.

“Most of the time, [the patients] already have high blood pressure, high cholesterol… But during Christmas, there is a lot of delicious food, alcoholic beverages, salty and processed foods, and stress,” Supe said.

These sudden lifestyle changes, paired with cold weather, lack of sleep, and strenuous holiday activities, can trigger acute coronary syndrome (ACS), strokes, or fatal arrhythmias.

WHO: Heart disease remains the world’s #1 killer

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death globally, responsible for 19.8 million deaths in 2022, 85 percent due to heart attack and stroke.

The WHO also notes:

Over 75% of CVD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Many cases are preventable through healthier diets, regular exercise, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and early detection.

Symptoms often appear only during a heart attack or stroke, making early screening critical.

Common heart attack signs include chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, cold sweats, dizziness, and pain radiating to the arms, jaw, or back.

DOH urges early consultation

Herbosa urged the public to seek urgent medical care at the first sign of heart attack symptoms, such as chest pain or difficulty breathing.

The DOH has also raised alert levels across hospitals for expected increases in:

heart disease and ACS cases

road crashes

firework-related injuries

How to avoid a ‘Heart Attack Holiday’