"Fall-back" heart attack
The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 2008 that the shift to and from daylight savings time can be deadly.
"More than 1.5 billion men and women are exposed to the transitions involved in daylight saving time: turning clocks forward by an hour in the spring and backward by an hour in the autumn. These transitions can disrupt chronobiologic rhythms and influence the duration and quality of sleep, and the effect lasts for several days after the shifts," a letter to the journal from the researchers says.
In the fall, men are affected more than women. And the opposite is true in the spring. So watch for heart attack symptoms during the first few after this weekend, and go ahead and get a medical check if you notice any.
According to MayoClinic.com, symptoms of heart attack include:
• Chest discomfort or pain
• Upper body pain
• Stomach pain
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety
• Lightheadedness
• Sweating
• Nausea and vomiting
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904
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