Heart-Stopping Football

It’s playoffs and SuperBowl time, and the occurrence of heart attacks will peak a little. Did you know that the excitement caused by watching your favorite team lose (or win) can trigger a myocardial infarction, or MI? The Europeans are ahead of us on this. Soccer fans clock up an increased number of MIs following Cup Final games, as a 2003 report from Switzerland shows.

Now a Pittsburg Steelers fan who had an MI while watching the last few minutes of their playoff against the Indianapolis Colts declares he’s ready to go and watch the SuperBowl on February 5. Nothing like tempting fate!

Fortunately, he’s not actually going to the game, he’ll see it on TV. Doctors believe the risks may be higher for fans who attend live matches. They say the noise and collective anxiety inside a stadium can put strain on some people's hearts. Maybe those at risk should just curl up with a good book. Or go out and play some sport themselves.