Cardiovascular events triggered by high-stakes sporting events!
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Playing in the Super Bowl is not for the weak hearted; apparently, neither is watching it. According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, looking on as your favorite team teeters the thin line between exhilaration and exile could trigger cardiovascular events. The emotional stress could just be too much to handle.
For the study, researchers examined data involving 4,279 residents of the Munich, Germany area who experienced cardiovascular events between June 9, 2006, and July 9, 2006, when Germany participated in and hosted the seven FIFA Cup championship games. The research team, led by Gerhard Steinbeck of Ludwig-Maximilians University, found that the rate of heart attacks and other acute cardiovascular events was 3.26 times higher for men and 1.82 times higher for women during the World Cup matches. Further, the study shows that the general risk for cardiovascular events that were severe enough to be worthy of treatment, exploded from only one out of 100,000 people on a usual day to two to three per 100,000 people on the days when Germany played in World Cup championship games! For the men who already had known cardiovascular troubles, the risk was 100 times greater; researchers found that these chaps became treatment-worthy in the one to two per 1,000 people range during the seven games.
To make things worse, the study found that overeating, eating too fast, drinking alcohol, and smoking also contributed to an increased risk of heart attack. Wisely, Steinbeck recommended limiting such behaviors while watching games. I don’t know about you, but any major sporting event I’ve witnessed, whether at the stadium or in a sports bar, has included an overindulgence in all of these behaviors.
Thankfully, Steinbeck and Steinbrenner won’t need to battle; the German researcher and the Yankees baseball club owner can remain at peace. Steinbeck said the findings do not mean that people should skip big games, and that they only translate into a small increase in risk.
He also said that people should not delay seeking treatment if symptoms arise, such as heart palpitations or chest pains. Steinbeck said people “should regularly take their prescribed drug regimen,” too, adding, “They should not stop it.”
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Source:
- http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/358/5/475
- Sataline, Wall Street Journal, 1/31
- Goldberg/Smith, Boston Globe, 1/31
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great article!! Keep them coming!