While Christmas is a time for festivities, Dr Michael Mosley had a word of warning about the big day itself.
The much-loved TV presenter and science journalist died of natural causes on June 5, aged 67, after going missing on the Greek island of Symi.
Dr Mosley was best known for being the diet guru behind The Fast 5:2 plan, a form of intermittent fasting. In a Daily Mail column last year, he cautioned: "As well as being a time of joy and happiness, the Christmas holidays are the peak time for heart attacks.
"According to the American Medical Association, there are more cardiac deaths on Christmas Day than on any other day of the year, closely followed by Boxing Day and New Year's Day. One of the reasons for this heightened risk is the colder weather, which means your heart must work harder to keep you warm; and it increases the risk of blood clots, which in turn means a greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
"You are also much more likely to catch flu at this time of year, which can lead to more blood clots and inflammation." Increased stress and disrupted sleep could also be risk factors for a heart attack.
The medic said eating and drinking far more than normal at Christmas - one study estimates 6,000 calories are typically consumed on December 25 alone - puts a greater strain on the heart too. And he worried symptoms of a heart attack, which include chest pain, could be mistaken for indigestion due to overindulgence, particularly if they are mild.
The father-of-four developed type 2 diabetes in his fifties, which motivated him to overhaul his own diet. He managed to beat the disease, while also inspiring countless others with his blood sugar diet and 5:2 diet.
Dr Mosley's own father Bill had developed the condition in his fifties and later developed heart failure, passing away at 74. In an poignant interview before his death, the expert told The Telegraph he feared dying early. He said : "When my GP told me I should start medication, it shouldn't have been a shock, because my dad had developed diabetes around the same age. And he then died. I shouldn't have been shocked, but I was.
“I had seen what had happened to my father He had died at 74, which is early these days. That feels young. He hadn't seen his grandkids grow up. I thought, that's not a road I want to go down."
In his finalised televised project, three-part documentary Michael Mosley: Wonders of the Human Body, the late doctor said: "I just had a new test that can predict your heart attack risk before it happen", with the results indicating he had a lower heart attack risk than his father. "Another way of looking at this is saying I have a 94% chance of making it to 74, which means I have a 94% chance of beating my dad," he said.
Sadly, Dr Mosley died at just 67 on the Dodecanese holiday island he loved. His wife said her husband seemed to have embarked on an "incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn't be easily seen" by emergency search teams after he disappeared following a day at Agios Nikolaos beach with her and friends. He was found on June 9, four days after he died, with an inquest verdict concluding he had died of natural causes.
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