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Good For You
Overindulging at holiday events could result in more than just a few unwanted pounds. Don’t overdo
eating or exerciseA study of nearly 2,000 heart attack survivors showed that the risk of having a heart attack may increase nearly 400 percent within two hours of eating an unusually heavy meal, according to Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that overeating by itself has been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks," Lopez-Jimenez said. "People at risk for a heart attack should be careful not only about the total caloric intake they eat every day, but the size of individual meals as well."
There are several theories about why an unusually heavy meal may increase the risk for heart attack. One theory is that a large meal might trigger the release of hormones that put stress on the heart. A second theory is that a large meal may increase the blood's tendency to clot. Still another possibility is that a high-fat meal impairs the function artery linings.
The risk of a heart attack after a big meal is low for young, healthy individuals. However, the incidence rises sharply for smokers and for people with conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Although there is a distinct difference between risk factors that develop over a lifetime (such as obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension) and those that act as sudden triggers for a heart attack, both are potentially dangerous, said Lopez-Jimenez.
"We hope that the results of our study will help convince people to be more cautious about eating exceptionally heavy meals, especially for people who have coronary artery disease or have suffered a previous heart attack," he added.
Extreme physical exertion -- especially in someone who has heart disease --may act as a trigger for a heart attack in much the same way as an unusually heavy meal.
A 12-year study of more than 21,000 men found that those who exercised vigorously less than once a week were 74 times more likely to die suddenly while jogging, playing a racquet sport or doing heavy yard work than while resting or lightly exerting themselves, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In comparison, men who exercised at least five times a week were only 10 times as likely to suddenly die during the heavy exertion.
How vigorous exercise leads to sudden death is not quite clear. One possibility is that exertion leads to the release of adrenaline, a hormone that lowers the threshold for irregular heart rhythms that can precede heart attack. Another possibility is that exercise increases heart rate and blood pressure, stressing the heart.
"Both of these effects are greater in individuals who do not exercise regularly," said Dr. Christine M. Albert, from Brigham and Women's Hospital. "Regular exercise prepares the heart for these stresses ... and decreases the likelihood that the heart will go into a chaotic rhythm under the same amount of stress."
The findings shouldn't discourage sedentary people from starting an exercise program. The benefits of exercise on heart disease are clear.
When it comes to either eating or exercising, moderation is the key. Experts recommend that we get fit, stay fit and refrain from overindulging at the table.
Health Events
Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor
who has been teaching and writing about food
and nutrition since 1975.