Doctors have long suspected a link between watching sports and heart problems. Now a new study by German researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine may provide proof, reports Reuters. The study suggests that stressful emotions during a closely contested match can bring on chest pains or cardiac arrest in spectators.
After studying the effects of soccer matches on fans during the 2006 World Cup, researchers concluded that, for German men, the risk of having a heart attack or some other heart problem was three times higher on days when their team played. It was 82 percent higher for German women.
The Chicago Tribune shared a particularly relevant case. A patient of Dr. Parag Patel, head of the cardiac intensive care unit at Advocate Luther General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill., was brought in to the hospital after suffering a heart attack in 2003 immediately after attending Game 6 of the Cub’s playoff series against the Florida Marlins, which the Cubs lost after blowing a three-run lead late in the game. The patient recovered from his attack, but Dr. Patel forbade him to watch Game 7 while recuperating in the hospital.
The study’s findings have implications for football fans preparing to watch the Super Bowl this Sunday. Experts say that fans with a known heart condition should take extra care to relax during the game and not overindulge in things like alcohol and fatty foods, which can quickly increase the risk of a heart attack.
Or if all else fails, just repeat this mantra: “It’s only a game. It’s only a game. It’s only a game…..”
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