The 6 hours of the day when the risk of suffering a stroke increases by 72%, according to a study

A stroke is a medical emergency. It occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted or a blood vessel ruptures. Because it can cause permanent brain damage, disability, and even death, it requires immediate attention. And although it can happen at any time of day, some research has found that the risk of experiencing this event is not evenly distributed across the 24 hours. In fact, a study from a few decades ago that analyzed nearly 12,000 adult patients found that there is a six-hour period in the morning during which the probability of suffering a stroke increases considerably. The results point to a variation in risk depending on the time of day, a phenomenon that has sparked researchers' interest in understanding how the body's biological rhythms might influence the onset of these events. The 6 hours of the day in which the risk of suffering a stroke increases by 72%, according to a study The hours when the risk of stroke increases, according to a study The meta-analysis, which brought together 31 studies and analyzed 11,816 cases of strokes, found that these events were 79% more frequent between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., compared with the other 18 hours of the day. All types of stroke showed a morning increase in risk, regardless of whether they were caused by clots, bleeds, or transient ischemic attacks. The researchers also observed that, between midnight and 6:00 a.m., there were 29% fewer strokes. As Harvard University physician Trisha Pasricha explained in a Washington Post column, heart attacks also follow this pattern: another analysis found that between 6:00 a.m. and noon, there is a 40% higher likelihood that one will occur. "It's probably because, in many ways, mornings create a perfect biological storm," the academic wrote. The 6 hours of the day in which the risk of suffering a stroke increases by 72%, according to a study Trends / La Tercera According to her explanation, this increase in the risk of stroke and heart attacks is due in part to melatonin levels in the body: early in the morning, they begin to drop while cortisol rises and peaks shortly after waking. In addition, blood pressure is usually low while we sleep. But just upon waking, it spikes: "That rise in blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes," the doctor asserted. In parallel, she cited another investigation in which a group of researchers found that the circadian rhythm causes blood platelets to clump together in the early morning. At the same time, another study stated that the blood protein that prevents clots from dissolving also reaches its peak level around the same hours. For this reason, Dr. Pasricha wrote, the body's circadian biology deserves more attention. Indeed, all the research would point to the same thing: morning may be a vulnerable time for the body.