Calm down: Super Bowl may increase heart attacks

William Atkins
Thursday, 31 January 2008 18:39

Science - Health

Specifically, they found that everyone (men and women) had 2.66 times (over double) more chance of having a heart attack or related problem during the soccer match.

For men it was worse. They had a 3.26 times (over triple) more chance to have problems during the sporting event, while women had a 1.82 times more chance.

They used similar control periods between May 1 to June 8 and July 10 to July 31, 2006, and May 1 to July 31, 2003 and 2005.

The researchers concluded in their paper: “Viewing a stressful soccer match more than doubles the risk of an acute cardiovascular event. In view of this excess risk, particularly in men with known coronary heart disease, preventive measures are urgently needed.”

This increased frequency of heart attacks and other related problems is especially a concern for people who already have heart disease.

Medical professional suggest using caution when watching such sporting events, especially if you have a known heart condition.