Heart attack pattern shifted after Katrina: study

(Reuters) – Heart attacks are usually most common on weekdays and mornings, especially Mondays, but the pattern reversed in New Orleans after it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, according to a U.S. study. “The fact that it’s such a polar opposite shift is really surprising,” said lead author Matthew Peters at Tulane University in New Orleans. After the 2005 storm, the overall number of attacks tripled, likely due to an increased number of smokers. Attacks were more likely on weekday evenings and weekends, according to data published in the American Journal of Cardiology. …