Lost Sleep from Daylight Savings Time May Increase Heart Attacks, Research Suggests

Despite gaining an extra daylight after pushing the clocks forward, some people may cease to see any daylight, as researchers have found that the Monday after daylight savings time is associated with a 25% higher risk of a heart attack.

The study's findings were presented today at the 63^rd Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Washington. Dr. Amneet Sandhu of the University of Colorado in Denver led the study that examined 42,000 hospital admissions in Michigan.

Dr. Sandhu found that, in general, heart attacks typically occur on Monday mornings. On average, 32 patients suffered heart attacks during this time, but the Monday after daylight savings time showed an average of 40 heart attacks, which is a 25% increase. The number of heart attacks decreased on other days of any given week, which suggests that Mondays compile the greatest number because of sleep-wake cycles and stress related to beginning a new work week.

"With daylight saving time, all of this is compounded by one less hour of sleep," said Dr. Sandhu in this Guardian news article. "Our study suggests that sudden, even small changes in sleep could have detrimental effects."

The risk for heart attack actually fell 21% later in the year on the Tuesday after the clock was returned to standard time and people were able to get an extra hour of sleep. These findings suggest that those with heart disease are vulnerable to this small time change because sleep is directly associated with heart health. At the 61^st Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology, a study found that too much or too little sleep could have effects on heart health.

Dr. Sanhu's study presents interesting and significant findings, but the subjects were limited to one state and included only those who required surgery as a result of a heart condition. It also excluded patients who died prior to hospital admission, so a more comprehensive and diverse study is needed to further confirm these results.

To read more about the daylight savings time effect on heart health, visit this Reuters news article.