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Die-hard Sports Fans Run Health Risks

Posted February 3, 2008 at 04:00 PM by Denise Musumeci

Section: In The News, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health

With Super Bowl Sunday upon us, it is appropriate to talk about new research that shows die-hard sports fans may have more to worry about than the outcome of the big game. New research shows that sports fanatics have a higher risk of a heart attack, and the risk is more pronounced if the fans already have heart problems.

This information comes from a study in which German researchers tracked the 2006 World Cup soccer championships. Soccer fans are some of the most loyal, dedicated sports fans, responsible for riots and celebrations depending on the outcomes of the games. The heart attack trends they found showed that on days Germany played, the number of heart attacks tripled in men and doubled in women.

The incidence of heart attacks depended on specific circumstances of the game, such as importance, how well or badly the team played, or sudden penalty shootouts. For example, when Germany beat Costa Rica that year, emergencies rose. They were even more pronounced when they beat Poland at the last minute in the second preliminary match. After they already qualified for the next round, incidences of heart attacks were not as pronounced when Germany played Ecuador. Games with penalty shootouts, such as the game against Argentina, created a large surge of emergencies. The same incidence occurred when Germany lost to Italy.

When Germany was eliminated from the tournament, effects of the tournament disappeared from their hearts. While the victory or loss of the game was an important factor in the incidence of heart attacks, the most important factor was the intensity of the game. If two teams are neck and neck almost the entire time, if there is a lot of competition, or if a penalty shot may affect the outcome of the game puts a lot more stress on the hearts of the sports fans, which increases the likelihood of a heart attack, regardless of whether or not their team won or lost.

Sports fans are at an even higher risk of a heart attack if they already have heart problems. The stress from an important game could cause heart attack if problems already exist. Doctors should counsel their patients about reducing stressful activities and consider higher doses of medication during intense sporting events, such as the Super Bowl.

In light of Super Bowl Sunday, try and stay in control of your stress levels. Whether you only watch sports during the playoffs or you watch them religiously, remember: it is only a game. If your team loses, it’s not a big deal. Remember that there is always next season.

Research sources and for more information: [NY Times]; [picture]

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Tags: heart attacks, heart failure, intensity of the game, loss, outcome of the game, penalty shot, sports fans, stress, superbowl, win, world cup

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