A heart attack also called myocardial infarction is when there is a shortage of blood supply to parts of the heart, especially when there is a blockage of blood to a part of the heart.

According to a publication by flyingdoctorsnigeria.com, in 2018, cardiovascular diseases were among the top five causes of death in Nigeria.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the symptoms of heart attack are chest pain, weakness, pain in the jaw, neck, or back, pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders or shortness of breath, 

Speaking in separate interviews with PUNCH HealthWise, the cardiologists, Prof Kamilu Karaye and Dr. Ramon Moronkola also said stroke could also occur early in the morning.

They explained that a heart attack is when there is no supply of blood to the heart while a stroke occurs when there is no supply of blood to the brain.

Karaye, who is a Professor of Medicine at Bayero University, pointed out that not all heart attacks are visible. Some can be masked due to some advanced underlying diseases like diabetes.

Speaking with our correspondent, Karaye stated that heart attacks do not occur frequently only at night or early in the morning, noting that many patients experience it during physical activities.

Explaining further he said, “Because the way the heart works is that it demands blood during physical activities. If the demand cannot be matched by the supply, then there may be an imbalance and the heart may suffer and a heart attack can occur.”

Continuing he said, “But it doesn’t necessarily mean that it only occurs at night but early hours of the morning, yes, because of certain hormonal issues and also blood pressure tend to rise in some people early in the morning, not everybody.

“It tends to rise in the early hours of the mornings and that is because of some hormonal changes in the body. So many things happen in the early hours of the morning, not only heart attack, but even stroke occurs at that time.”

He also attributed the occurrence of heart attacks in the morning to poorly managed blood pressure, noting that the blood pressure of many people tends to go up in the early hours of the morning. This, he said, can be properly managed by the attending doctor. 

Karaye stated that when such persons are identified, the dosage and the drugs of the patient would be arranged in such a way that good blood pressure control can be achieved in the early hours of the morning.

Patients living with hypertension, he said, should ensure they achieve good blood pressure control at night and in the morning period because they are at greater risk of suffering heart attacks in the morning.

Karaye, who is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, also advised patients with uncontrolled blood pressure and coronary artery disease to stay away from sex-enhancing drugs like Viagra noting that using it wrongly can cause lead to a heart attack 

The wrong use of sex-enhancing drugs “is a risk factor because can stimulates not just the sexual part of the body but also the heart.”

Also speaking with PUNCH HealthWise, Moronkola, a Consultant Cardiologist with Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, stated that while heart attack can occur at any time of the day, some studies have indicated that it occurs more at night.

Moronkola said this could be due to “some chemicals in the body that tend to have a surge at that time of the day. Some of them we call cortisol.”

According to mayoclinic.com, cortisol is the primary stress hormone that increases sugars in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose, and increases the availability of substances that repair tissue.

Moronkola opined that “excess cortisol tends to occur in the early hours of the morning and it is one of those things that have been thought to be responsible for it.”

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Oregon Health & Science University in a study found that at around 6:30 a.m. the circadian system sends out an increased amount of PAI-1 cells which blocks blood clots from breaking down. 

The researchers stated further that the more PAI-1 cells in the blood, the higher the risk for a blood clot that leads to a heart attack.

Source: HealthWise