Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Heart attack is one of the highest causes of death in the world, including Indonesia and is known as the “silent killer” or silent killer.

According to the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes RI), heart attacks are the highest cause of death in Indonesia with a percentage of 14.38 percent and 16.17 percent of deaths in the world.

A number of reports state that heart attacks often occur or are discovered on Mondays. At first glance, it seems like a coincidence. However, it turns out researchers found the reason behind it.

Quoting from the official website of the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the latest research presented at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference revealed that serious heart attacks are more likely to occur on Mondays than other days of the week.

In this study, doctors from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland examined the records of 10,528 patients treated in hospitals across Ireland, including the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

More than 10 thousand of these patients were treated between 2013 and 2018 due to the most severe type of heart attack, namely ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or a heart attack in the form of total blockage of the coronary arteries.

Usually, STEMI requires action in the form of reopening blocked coronary arteries and returning blood to the heart. If not treated immediately, STEMI can be fatal.

The researchers found that there was a significant increase in the number of STEMI heart attacks at the start of the week. In fact, the highest level of cases was found on Monday, with an increase of 13 percent.

Although STEMI cases are also estimated to be higher on Sundays, the reason behind the tendency for STEMI heart attacks to occur on Mondays is still not known for certain.

However, previous research found that the strongest reason heart attacks occur at the beginning of the week, especially Mondays, is the body's circadian rhythm which regulates humans' sleep and wake cycles.

“We have found a strong statistical correlation between the start of the work week and the incidence of STEMI. This has been described previously, but remains curious,” said cardiologist Dr. Jack Laffan, quoted Monday (29/1/2024).

“The cause is most likely multifactorial. However, based on previous research, it is reasonable to assume it has a circadian element,” he continued.

Although STEMI heart attacks are more likely to occur on Mondays, that doesn't mean they are less likely to occur on other days of the week.

According to experts, heart attacks are one of the most common medical emergencies regardless of the day of the disease. However, it wouldn't hurt for doctors to know when this deadly disease appears as an additional precaution.

“This research adds to the evidence around the timing of very serious heart attacks. However, we need to know which specific days of the week make heart attacks more likely,” said BHF Media Director, Prof. Sir Nilesh Samani.

“This can help doctors better understand this deadly condition so we can save more lives in the future,” he stressed.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(miq/miq)