Time change increases several health risks

We are back on Daylight Saving Time, losing an hour of sleep.

Sleep expert Adam Spira, PhD, MA, a professor in Mental Health says, "The scientific evidence points to acute increases in adverse health consequences from changing the clocks, including in heart attack and stroke."

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says there is a heightened risk of mood disturbances and hospital admissions, as well as elevated production of inflammatory markers in response to stress. The potential for car crashes also spikes.

This is a Canadian invention we could all probably do without. Port Arthur, Ontario, was the first city in the world to enact Daylight Saving Time, on July 1, 1908. This was followed by Orillia, Ontario, introduced by William Sword Frost while mayor from 1911 to 1912.

It is a good practice to change batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when the time changes.