Most people think of Christmas as a time of gift giving, reflection and family, however one study pointed out that this time of year accounts for 12.4 percent more deaths than normal.

A spike in the number of heart attacks and deaths from other causes were reported to occur in a much higher rate over the Christmas and New Year's holiday than any other days of the year. Results of a study revealed that over the 14 days spanning the Christmas and New Year's holiday season, there was nearly a 5 percent jump in heart-related deaths and non-heart-related deaths.

This drastic surge in deaths over the holidays accounted for nearly 43,000 more deaths than would have normally been expected.

Researchers explored some of the possible reasons for the significant number of deaths during this time. They came up with some possible explanations:

* People were either too busy or feeling too festive to seek medical attention or go to the hospital over the holidays

* Changes in medical staff over the holidays might compromise the quality of medical care

Experts recommended not putting off seeking medical attention if it is needed just because it's the holiday season. They also urged holiday travelers to investigate their medical resources prior to taking their trip.

Researchers agreed that more studies need to be conducted in order to find out what triggers the "Merry Christmas coronary" and the "Happy New Year heart attack."

Heart Center Online December 14, 2004

Yahoo! News December 13, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

If you are a physician or work in a hospital you will understand what a major influence the hospital staff can have on patient status. More and more the hospital has become a place for the very seriously injured or impaired. This further compounds the challenge of improperly or less than optimally trained for holiday coverage. It is well proven that hospital deaths increase over the weekend. Considering that drugs and doctors are the leading factors for deaths, my vote for the primary reason as to why the holidays have an increased death rate would be the care they receive in the hospital setting.

Fortunately for you this is an easy one. If you are following the Total Health Program the likelihood that you will require hospital care at some point is very low. By being proactive and staying out of the hospital, not only do you radically reduce your risk of dying over the holidays, you will feel so good you can more fully appreciate the social aspects of the season.

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Dr. Joseph Mercola
Author of Total Health Program
Founder of the renowned Optimal Wellness Center
http://www.Mercola.com - The #1 Natural Health Site on the Internet!