Risk of having a heart attack peaks at 10pm on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is the most common day of the year to suffer a heart attack, researchers have found. Academics compared the dates and times of 280,000 heart attacks to take place over 16 years in Sweden. They found heart attacks peaked at 10pm on December 24. They believe emotional stress and anxiety increases the risk - especially among over-75s or those already suffering from diabetes or heart disease. The scientists said strategies should be developed to protect these people from stress in the run-up to Christmas. The researchers, led by experts at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, found the risk of a heart attack rises by 37 per cent on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is slightly safer, with a 29 per cent increased risk, and on Boxing Day the risk is up by 21 per cent. New Year's Eve is no more dangerous than any other day of the year, but on New Year's Day the risk rises again by 20 per cent.