Avoiding the Christmas coronary

Packing on pounds is common for holiday revelers.

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(Fortune) -- Here's a holiday gift worth leaving off your wish list: the "Merry Christmas coronary" -- a phrase coined by researchers who say that death rates from heart attack, stroke and other non-heart related causes spike this time of year.

In fact, deaths related to heart disease soar in December and January, reaching their peak on Christmas and New Year's Day (no doubt, just as we're diving into our third piece of pie), according to a new study from Vanderbilt Medical Center. Doctors combed a database of 53 million deaths in the United States between 1973 and 2001.

Keith Churchwell, a cardiologist who serves as associate director of Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, lists several possible reasons for the uptick in ticker trouble during the holidays. Between shopping and partying and traveling, many people with heart symptoms delay a trip to the doctor or get so caught up in the spirit that they forget to take their medication. What's more, the holidays are seen as the perfect excuse to take a break from their diet and exercise.

Revelers commonly gain between eight and 10 pounds over the holidays, says Cindy Osborn, a clinical dietitian with the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute. "The typical holiday meal has between 2,800 and 3,300 calories," she said. "This would be equivalent to two day's worth of calories for a woman who was trying to lose weight."

It's not just about packing on the pounds. As party-goers indulge, they often drink more alcohol than usual. Churchwell notes that alcohol has a toxic effect, and can frequently lead to irritation of the atrium, the top chamber of the heart muscle.

What about the theory that family stress can wear on the heart during the holidays? Churchwell isn't buying it. "Stress always plays some role, but from a purely cardiovascular standpoint, it's much less of a cause of heart problems than all of the other factors we've identified."

So if you're hoping to ring in the New Year far from the nearest hospital bed, Churchwell and Osborn offer these tips on how to celebrate without collapsing.

• Forget about dieting during the holidays. Aim to maintain your current weight.

• Pick one day to allow yourself to eat whatever you want. Just don't make it last four days.

• Skipping meals so you can scarf later only makes you super hungry -- and much more prone to overeat.

• Try new foods rather than the chips and dips. If it's something we've never tasted before, we're more likely to serve ourselves smaller portions.

• Don't go to a party hungry. Have a snack high in protein, such as yogurt or cheese, about an hour before you leave.

• Stay away from the buffet table. Fill your plate once and step away rather than hanging around, nibbling. Turkey is a good, lean choice. Eggnog and alcohol, on the other hand, have lots of calories.

• Take a toothbrush with you. Once you eat, brush your teeth and then keep a beverage in your hand to sip.

• Eat slowly and talk with others to slow down the process of eating. It takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the signal that your body's full.

• If you're bringing food to the party, make it low-fat so there is at least one item that is safe to eat.

• Finally, if you take daily walks, invite your family along before or after the holiday dinner.

Now, as for surviving the in-laws....