The Time A Heart Attack Or Stroke Is Likely To Strike: 6.30AM

What Time Of Day Are Strokes And Heart Attacks Most Likely To Take Place?
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Why is the most common time for people to suffer from a heart attack or stroke 6.30am?

Researchers delved into this and discovered that it's all due to your body clock.

The body produces a protein that slows down the breakdown of clots, and a team from Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, and Oregon Health and Science University, discovered that this enters peak production around 6.30am in some people.

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"Our research suggests that the circadian system, or the internal body clock, contributes to the increased risk for cardiovascular events in the morning," Frank Scheer, director of the medical chronobiology programme at Brigham and Women's Hospital, was quoted as saying.

Story continues below the slideshow:

Heart Attack Signs You Might Be Ignoring...
Heart Attack Symptoms You're Likely To Ignore(01 of07)
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(credit:Alamy)
Burning Pain In Abdomen(02 of07)
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"A dull ache or burning sensation in the epigastrum (upper part of the abdomen). Not all pain typically occurs in the centre of the chest," explains Dr Sanjay Sharma. "The blockage in the heart could cause symptoms similar to indigestion (like fullness, bloating and problems swallowing). If these symptoms longer than two days, seek medical advice." (credit:Alamy)
Aching Neck And Jaw (03 of07)
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"Severe pain or pressure sensation around the jaw and neck only could be a sign," says Dr Sanjay Sharma. "If it starts off as a mild discomfort but gradually worsens, seek medical advice immediately." (credit:Alamy)
Upper Back Pain(04 of07)
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"Pain in the centre of the upper back is often mistaken for muscular pain, but could be a 'silent heart attack' symptom," says Dr. Sanjay Sharma."If in doubt, speak to a medical professional as soon as possible." (credit:Alamy)
Breathlessness(05 of07)
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"Being suddenly short of breath, without any chest pain could be a sign of a herat attack - although it's more likely to occur in elderly people or diabetics. The chest pain could be due to the lack of oxygen to the heart muscle," says Dr Sanjay Sharma. "The breathlessness is often due to the fact that the heart is no longer pumping properly causing the lungs to fill up with fluid." (credit:Alamy)
Dizziness And Sweating(06 of07)
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Dizziness and sweating is a common sign," says Dr Sanjay Sharma. "The sweating is a normal reaction to severe pain and the loss of consciousness may be due to a drop in blood pressure the heart going into a very slow, or very fast electrical rhythm, due to the effects of lack of oxygen." (credit:Alamy)
'Pulled Muscle'(07 of07)
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"If chest pain spreads to your left or right arm, that could be another sign you're having a heart attack. We've heard from heart attack survivors who thought they'd pulled a muscle and waited until the following day before getting themselves to hospital," adds Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse from the British Heart Foundation. (credit:Alamy)

They studied levels of the protein Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) of 12 healthy adult volunteers for two weeks. These people were then asked to change their routine so that their body clocks were desynchronised.

This was to measure whether their protein levels changed accordingly.

he research found a strict rhythm in body's level of PAI-1 with a peak at about 6.30 a.m.

This morning peak in PAI-1 could help explain adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with obesity, diabetes or hearth disease," warned co-author Steven Shea, director of the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences.

The findings, published in the journal Blood, showed that the human circadian system causes a morning peak in circulating levels of PAI-1 independent of any behavioural or environmental influences.

Dr Shea added: ""Indeed, the circadian system determined to a large extent the PAI-1 rhythm observed during a regular sleep/wake cycle. This morning peak in PAI-1 could help explain adverse cardiovascular events in vulnerable individuals."