There happens to be a correlation between an uptick in strokes and heart attacks during presidential elections. Harvard and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) have both conducted studies showing a direct correlation between the election and an increase in hospitalizations and deaths from strokes and heart attacks.
“Around election season, just as we’ve seen in other world events, hurricanes, disasters, even the world cup, we have a spike in adrenaline, we have high blood pressure, that can lead to bleeding in the brain; it can lead to an ischemic stroke, or a clog in the brain,” said Dr. David Rose to Fox News. “It can lead to atrial fibrillation, it can lead to heart attacks because of vasoconstriction, tightening of the arteries.” He expects another uptick in medical events in the coming week.
Kaiser Permanente studied hospitalizations for cardiovascular events during the 2020 election and found a 17% in hospitalizations during the five days after the election. Heart attacks were an alarming 42% more prevalent during that time.
Even during the 2016 election, Kaiser noted a 62% increase in hospitalizations for a stroke or heart attack after the election. Cardiac arrhythmia cases rose 77% in the six-week period after that election.
We cannot alter history nor can we control the future. We can do our best to make an impact and prepare for the future. No cycle, be it political or business, can be altered. My life’s work and the creation of Socrates involved researching the past to predict the future, but the outcome cannot be manipulated. Despite the blatant injustices we are experiencing, we must protect ourselves by remaining calm this election season.
