Weekend booze binges and the stresses of going back to work could be contributing to a higher rate of heart attacks on a Monday, according to research.

A 10-year study carried out in Scotland suggested that up to 20% more people die from heart attacks on a Monday than any other day.

Experts have now called for more investigation into the links between excessive drinking and coronary heart disease.





A report in the British Medical Journal also suggested the stresses of returning to work after a weekend's socialising could also be to blame for the number of Monday heart attacks. Almost 80,000 men and women who died of heart disease in Scotland were studied between 1986 and 1995, and it was found the mortality rate peaked on Mondays. Deaths of women under 50 with no previous history of heart disease rose by a fifth on Mondays compared to the daily average. 'Important implications' And among men under 50 with no earlier heart trouble, there was a 19% excess on the first day of the working week. In contrast, the researchers found the lowest number of heart-related fatalities on a Tuesday.



