Heart attacks that occur in the early morning may be more serious than those that occur later in the day, a new study suggests.
The results show that people who have heart attacks between 6 a.m. and noon have about 20 percent more damage to their heart tissue than those who have heart attacks at other times of the day.
Patients with more tissue damage after a heart attack are known to have a worse prognosis, including a greater risk of death.
The findings suggest hospitals should be well-staffed in the early morning hours to attend to heart attack patients, said study researcher Borja Ibanez, of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) in Spain. A larger staff will help ensure the patient's coronary artery is opened as soon as possible, which will lead to a better prognosis for the patient, Ibanez said.
Coincidentally, previous research has also shown heart attacks are more likely to occur in the morning. The findings suggest "those individuals are also suffering from the worst amount of injury," said Martin Young, of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who was not involved in the study.
Worst Time to Have a Heart Attack: Morning
