Fellas, don't shoot the messenger here.

The article says they examined death certificates of 53 million Americans who died from 1973 to 2001.

That's pretty comprehensive.

The article also says, the spike isn't just related to heart disease, but all causes of death. It also says the exact reason for the increased number of deaths at the holidays is unknown, but they think it MAY be related to people delaying getting medical attention during the holidays.

The article also said:

"Overall, there were "distinct spikes" in both heart- and nonheart-related deaths around Christmas and New Year's..."

"...the number of deaths occurring around the holidays "gradually increased" during the 26-year study period..."

"Deaths from causes unrelated to heart conditions were also more common on these three days, which Phillips described as "the most popular days of the year to die."

and finally:

"The reason for the holiday-related spike in deaths could not be explained by factors such as respiratory diseases, holiday-associated emotional stress or changes in diet or alcohol drinking, study findings indicate."

Y'all didn't read the article, did ya?

Ron, when I said people who were celebrating were in denial, I was referring to the part of the article that said people delay seeking treatment at the holidays, thinking they won't be one of the statistics, it isn't that serious, must be something they ate or drank, that sort of thing.

I had an uncle die the day after Xmas many, many years ago. He left his wife & 6 small kids behind. It doesn't just happen to somebody else. That is what I mean by people being in denial about the hazards of the holiday season.