Posted on: Friday, July 30, 2004

Poll links vacation, heart attacks

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer

An online poll shows vacation travel may increase the risk of a heart attack, and some local emergency officials are wondering if that's a factor in drownings at Hanauma Bay or hikers who need rescuing on the Diamond Head trail.

The Harris online poll was conducted May 13 to 17 with a nationwide sample of 2,386 adults, nearly half of whom had been on vacation in the past year.

The survey showed that of people on vacation: 53 percent felt stressed; 36 percent over-indulged in alcohol; 34 percent ate too much; and 59 percent overexert themselves. And about one-third had not been checked for high blood pressure before the trip.

Jim Howe, operations chief of the city's Ocean Safety Division, said such factors could explain why officials see drownings at a sheltered, idyllic spot such as Hanauma Bay.

Howe suspects Hanauma Bay turns up as a hot spot because so many people snorkel facedown it's difficult to determine if someone is in trouble. "We do hundreds of rescues at Hanauma Bay each year," he said.

He said visitors don't realize that snorkeling is harder than it looks. "Snorkeling is a physically demanding activity," he said. "They overestimate their ability and they underestimate the challenges of the environment."

Statistics aren't easily available to determine if visitors are more likely than residents to have a heart attack at such popular tourist attractions. The Harris survey was sponsored by Biovail Corporation, a drug manufacturer that produces Cardizem LA, which treats heart conditions.

The state Health Department's Dan Galanis studies drowning statistics as part of his role in injury prevention. But he's skeptical that vacationers are at statistically increased risks. "It sounds pretty conjectural," he said.

Galanis said a study that also examined the risk assessment of people who had heart attacks during their normal work routines would provide a more accurate picture.

But Galanis acknowledges that some visitors get dehydrated, too hot and even tired because they don't know what to expect from Hawai'i's year-round warmth.

HFD Capt. Kenison Tejada said the fire department routinely gets at least a dozen rescue calls to Diamond Head trail each year. But he suspects most of those fall short of a heart attack.

Rescuers find people suffering dizziness and twisted ankles as well as cardiac conditions.

Robin McCulloch, Honolulu's chief of Emergency Medical Services, said visitors can hurt themselves. "Our emergency medical services are often required to respond to the consequences of people who overexert themselves, or who take undue risks, or disregard their medical restrictions," he said.

McCulloch said many medical emergencies could be avoided with common sense. "In general, don't be so uninhibited and carefree when celebrating or vacationing such that you take foolish or excessive risks."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.