New research from QUT and the University of Melbourne has found an increase in heart attack deaths over the Christmas period.
QUT's Associate Professor Adrian Barnett said the research was the first in the Southern Hemisphere to look at heart-related deaths over the festive season.
He said the research found a 4.2 per cent increase in cardiac deaths outside of a hospital during the Christmas period from 25 December to 7 January.
The research findings, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, was consistent with previous United States studies which also showed an increase in heart-related deaths over the festive season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Professor Barnett said because Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere coincides with winter, it had never been possible to determine the degree to which cold weather contributed to increased deaths. Existing research shows there are more heart-related deaths during winter months.
He said the Southern Hemisphere research, carried out in New Zealand, was able to eliminate the winter weather factor and for the first time look at heart attack statistics over the festive season.
"When you take out the winter chill factor, there are still considerably more heart-related deaths out of hospital over the Christmas period and this gives us what we've termed a 'Christmas Holiday effect'," he said.
"While we have no conclusive reason for this increase in deaths we do have some probable causes.
"A likely cause is people delaying seeking medical attention over the Christmas period or not being able to readily access medical facilities. We also eat and drink more over Christmas, so it may simply be over-indulgence.
"Another possibility is displacement of death, that is either a hastening or postponement of death for reasons associated with the holiday period. The ability of a person to modify their time of death on the basis of dates of significance requires further research but remains a possible explanation for this holiday effect."
The research, Revisiting the “Christmas Holiday Effect” in the Southern Hemisphere, also found those dying from heart attacks over the festive period were, at 76 years of age, a year younger than the annual average.
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au.
