Heart attacks are more common in the early morning, due to a spike of the hormone cortisol between the hours of 5 to 10 am. The incidence increases further with exertion, such as shoveling snow on a cold morning or a brisk workout at the gym. Individuals who have multiple risk factors have a higher chance of having a heart attack during their lifetime. These include men, tobacco use, diabeties, high cholesterol, older age, family history of heart attack and high blood pressure. See your physician to help reduce your risk of heart attack, and try to limit the amount of physical exertion first thing in the morning…..Richard R Samuel, MD Family Practice and Urgent Care Hayden, ID USA
