It’s a fact that has been observed by many doctors. Heart attacks that strike in the early morning are quite often the deadliest. Now, researchers finally think they know why. And their discovery could change the way heart attacks are treated.

“If you have a heart attack in the morning, you are more likely to have fatal arrhythmias, heart failure, and you’re more likely to die from it. The question we asked is, ‘Why?’” said Holger Eltzschig, senior author of the study and chair of anesthesiology at UTHealth Houston.

In their new study published in Nature, scientists led by Dr. Eltzschig uncovered a molecular partnership inside the heart that makes morning heart attacks more severe. In essence, your heart has its own internal security system that’s strongest during daylight hours but weakens overnight, leaving you more vulnerable when trouble strikes before dawn.

This security system involves two key proteins with complicated names. BMAL1 is the body’s internal timekeeper. It helps regulate our daily rhythms, influencing when we feel alert or sleepy. HIF2A, on the other hand, helps cells adapt to........

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