Weekend heartaches

Weekends are the most likely time for young and middle-aged men to suffer heart attacks.

A new study, which looked at heart attack data from France, found there was no obvious reason weekends should be more dangerous.

"It could be that young men engage in strenuous activity at the weekends, so increasing the risk of a heart attack in those who are susceptible," it said.

Professor Jean Ferrieres, of Toulouse's INSERM research institute, and his colleagues studied existing French data on heart attacks and causes of death between 1987 and 1997.

The research, published in the journal Heart, has challenged general assumptions that Monday was the critical day for heart attacks. The stress of the impending working week was thought to be a cause.

The study found that deaths from heart disease in men aged between 25 and 44 peaked on weekends.

In men aged between 45 and 54, deaths from heart disease peaked on Sundays and only for older men did Monday seem the critical day.

- REUTERS