美国国家公共电台 NPR--Doctors warn that heart attacks spike this time of year

Doctors warn that heart attacks spike¹ this time of year

Transcript²

We know viruses are on the rise as we head into the holiday season, but cardiologists want us to know that there is also an increased risk of heart attacks at this time of year.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

There's a lot of focus on viruses this season and the threat of a tripledemic (ph). But heart doctors say one health risk that doesn't get much attention is the holiday heart attack spike. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports nearly 800,000 Americans have a heart attack each year. And amid the rush of the holidays, it's easy to miss the warning signs.

ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE³: Donald Lloyd-Jones is a cardiologist at Northwestern University in Chicago and the former president of the American Heart Association. He told me, for years, he and his colleagues have noted⁴ a trend.

DONALD LLOYD-JONES: We do see a spike in heart attacks and strokes as we head into the holiday season. And of course, heart attack and stroke are still the leading causes of death worldwide. And that includes the U.S.

AUBREY: The data pointing to a winter spike goes back a few decades. The weather could be part of the explanation since blood vessels⁵ can constrict⁶ or narrow in cold temperatures.

LLOYD-JONES: And so if you already have compromised blood flow to your heart, that sort of spasm⁷ or narrowing down of the arteries⁸ in response to cold air can make things worse.

AUBREY: But it's not just the cold. This trend has also been documented in Southern California, where scientists examined death certificates and found about 33% more deaths in Los Angeles County in December and January compared to the summer months.

LLOYD-JONES: There is a broad and shallow dip through the summer months. And then there is a very large spike in the last week of the year between Christmas and New Year's.

AUBREY: He says people tend to get off their routines during the holidays. We tend to eat more, drink more, sleep less, perhaps be more stressed. And some people forget to take their medications.

LLOYD-JONES: If you're already at risk for heart disease or stroke, you know, the changes that happen in our blood pressure with stressors - especially if you add in, you know, a mix of alcohol and not sleeping - all those things really push our body pretty hard.

AUBREY: And in the midst of celebrating holidays, people may miss the warning signs of a heart attack.

LLOYD-JONES: Heavy, heavy pressure in the chest that's new or unexpected, unexplained shortness of breath, especially sudden onset⁹.

AUBREY: But not everybody gets these symptoms. Dr. Tina Shah is a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente. She's based in Seattle.

TINA SHAH: Dizziness, lightheadedness, feeling, like, faint. And it's also important to remember that sometimes we don't have these exact textbook sort of symptoms, especially in women. They can have more subtle symptoms.

AUBREY: She says she's seen instances when people ignore that gut¹⁰ feeling that something is off or wrong.

SHAH: People feel like, I'm out with family. We're doing all this fun stuff. I don't want to be, you know, the damper in the party. I don't want to disappoint my family. I do not feel well. But I'll just hold off on, you know, seeking medical attention until I'm back home or until the holidays or the festivities are over.

AUBREY: Despite the crowds, inconvenience or expense of an ER visit, Dr. Shah says it's better to be safe than sorry.

SHAH: I always recommend to err¹¹ on the side of caution, to seek attention right away.

AUBREY: Doctors can do an EKG or bloodwork. They can tell whether you're having a heart attack.

Allison Aubrey, NPR News.

1 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 constrict   

v.压缩，收缩，阻塞

参考例句：

• Men and women alike have been constricted by traditional sexual roles.男性和女性同样受到传统性别角色的束缚。
• Severe migraine can be treated with a drug which constricts the blood vessels.严重的偏头疼可以用一种收缩血管的药物进行治疗。

7 spasm   

n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作

参考例句：

• When the spasm passed,it left him weak and sweating.一阵痉挛之后，他虚弱无力，一直冒汗。
• He kicked the chair in a spasm of impatience.他突然变得不耐烦，一脚踢向椅子。

8 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

10 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

11 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。