There are heart-stopping football matches, literally. And it is that, there are several cases of heart attacks that have occurred during the outcome of one of these sporting events. Now an investigation has concluded that those who live football intensely and get angry when their team loses have a higher risk of suffering a myocardial infarction.
The study, carried out by members of the Puerta del Mar University Hospital (Cádiz) and presented at the SEC Congress of Cardiovascular Health 2021, has analyzed cardiovascular events –such as heart attacks or angina pectoris– in the fans of the Cádiz Club de Fútbol in matches held during 2018, 2019 and 2020, taking into account whether the team won or lost.
The results have shown that during the study period, more than 10,000 people went to the emergency department for chest pain and acute coronary syndrome during the football game, and of these, more than 2,000 required hospital admission for heart problems. .
Admissions for ischemic heart disease were higher when the team was defeated and lower when they won away from home
Specifically, a reduction was observed in visits to the emergency room for chest pain on match days for this Andalusian team, except when they lost as visitors, which increased. Based on admissions for ischemic heart disease, days of home defeat increased and decreased when they won away from home.
Changes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Differences were also found based on the COVID-19 pandemic. When it was not possible to attend the stadium, the number of emergency cases increased on days when the local team lost away, while the number of visits decreased when they won at home. Post-lockdown hospitalizations decreased when the team lost from home, contrary to what happened before the pandemic.
The increase in cases of heart problems resulting from team defeat is explained by the physical and emotional stress generated during the match, which in previous studies has already been associated with a higher incidence of arrhythmias and acute coronary syndrome. And it is that stress is a natural response of the body, in which catecholamines and cortisol are secreted mainly to face situations of tension, fear, danger… and all this can contribute to heart problems.
People who have a higher risk of being admitted during football match days would be those with diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidemia
“Stress is part of everyone’s life, but if this response is excessive, either in duration or intensity, it can overload different systems, such as the cardiovascular system, and generate more problems than solutions… such as ischemic heart disease , anxiety, depression, etc. It has been published how some events can increase the number of visits to the emergency room for chest pain, such as earthquakes, wars, political conflicts… the Cadiz carnival… and surely WhatsApp crashes and program finals reality TV programs”, explains Dr. Juan Enrique Puche, main author of the study.
The researchers have revealed a profile of people who have a higher risk of being admitted during match days, which would be those with diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidemia. “The study should serve to emphasize those subjects who are more vulnerable and try to implement preventive measures to avoid this outcome,” warns Puche.
.
