Why are heart attacks more common in the morning?
Ask our experts
I heard that people are more likely to experience a heart attack in the morning than at other times of the day. Why?Most heart attacks happen when a plaque deposit inside one of the heart's arteries ruptures (bursts open), leading to the formation of a clot that blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Several factors help explain why this sequence of events is three times more likely to happen in the morning hours compared to the evening.
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About the Author
Dara Lee Lewis, MD, Contributor; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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