An article in The Medical Journal of Australia raised concerns that Santa has a risk of developing atrial fibrillation because of his advanced age and other risk factors. Currently, there is no guide to help manage his condition. Fortunately, the authors of the article have come up with some useful advice. They proposed the SANTA CLAUS mnemonic to aid doctors:
Anticoagulate
I won’t cover all the recommendations in this post but thought you would be interested to know the best anticoagulant for Santa. It is hard to assess his stroke risk as the CHADS-VASc score has not been validated in somebody as old as Santa, given his age is about 1750 years old. However, it is likely he would need an anticoagulant. The authors recommend a NOel AntiCoagulant (NOAC), in particular, A-pixie-ban due to its wide availability in the North Pole as a result of frequent use in elves. Warfarin is contraindicated due to its interaction with Brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce.
Comorbidities
Comorbidities such as high blood pressure and diabetes are known to contribute to AF. Santa’s diet is not the best so he is at risk. The recommended first-line treatment for diabetes in Santa is Metformincepie with second-line agents including Linagliptinsel and Santagliflozin. For his blood pressure, recommended antihypertensives include Candysartan and Aten-lordsaleaping-olol.
Save Santa Claus
The authors point out that adequate management of AF in Santa is pivotal to the successful delivery of presents to 2.2 billion children each Christmas.
These guidelines are underpinned by The North Pole Institue for Christmas Excellence (NICE).
How can I help?
Perhaps this year you should put out a low carb mince pie and an alcohol-free glass of wine for Santa to help him avoid metabolic syndrome. You could even leave out a smartwatch for Santa to check his pulse and do an ECG before heading back up your chimney.
Thanks to my sister for spotting this fun article.
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