Outsmarting Holiday Heart Syndrome

Discover the effects of holiday stress on your heart and learn easy ways to enjoy festivities safely, avoiding Holiday Heart Syndrome.
Outsmarting Holiday Heart Syndrome
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The festive glow of twinkling lights and joyous songs often mask the holiday season’s hidden stress and emotional challenges. This underlying pressure, frequently ignored amid the celebrations, may precipitate a serious, yet lesser-known condition: holiday heart syndrome.

More than just a byproduct of holiday excesses, this syndrome is deeply linked to the season’s psychological stressors, ranging from the anxiety of orchestrating perfect holiday events to navigating complex family relationships. Recognizing and understanding these psychological factors is key to protecting our heart health during this special time of year.

Understanding Holiday Heart Syndrome

More people die of cardiac deaths on Christmas Day than any other day of the year, reported Circulation, the American Heart Association’s journal. This alarming trend continues with elevated cardiac death rates on Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, correlating with significant holiday events.
Sheramy Tsai
Sheramy Tsai
Author
Sheramy Tsai, BSN, RN, is a seasoned nurse with a decade-long writing career. An alum of Middlebury College and Johns Hopkins, Tsai combines her writing and nursing expertise to deliver impactful content. Living in Vermont, she balances her professional life with sustainable living and raising three children.
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