Soccer and Heart

Posted on June 15, 2008
Filed Under Heart Disease, People |

Not only professionals
The tragic death in a field of Seville FC footballer because of an undetected heart problem in the medical checks of the club has fired the alarm. The medical services of the clubs are challenging precisely these checks prior to recruiting new players. To what extent was the player to know the problem is undoubtedly of opinion, but not football can affect the heart … of the audience.

Environmental stress
Different events that cause environmental stress in a large number of people in certain areas (earthquakes, wars, sports events) can increase the risk of cardiovascular accidents. There is, however, controversy at the time of linking the rates of illness or death of cardiac origin with football matches.

During June and July 2006 took place in Germany World Cup Soccer. This event provided an opportunity to investigate the relationship between emotional stress experienced simultaneously by a predefined population at football matches and events or cardiovascular accidents evaluated by emergency medical experience.

A world could increase the number of accidents cardiac
The authors of this study hypothesized that in a country like Germany, where soccer is popular, the games of the World Cup playing in the national team could be a powerful trigger to cause an increase in incidence of cardiac emergencies.

The researchers recorded all accidents occurring in the cardiovascular area of Munich during the World Cup and compared with the events in a control period (one month before and after matches and at the same months of 1 and 3 years before). 4279 patients were evaluated. In the days when the German team played, the incidence of cardiac emergencies was 2.66 times higher than during control periods (for men the incidence was 3.26 times higher for women and 1.82 times greater).

Up to three times more emergency department during the matches
Among patients with coronary accidents during the days when the German team played, the proportion of patients with known coronary artery disease was 47%, compared with 29% of patients during the control period. These days, most average incidence of accidents occurred during the first two hours after the start of each match.

The researchers found an increased incidence of myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (a type of severe heart attack) 2.49 times larger infarction without ST segment elevation or unstable angina, and 2.61 times more cardiac arrhythmias causing major symptoms of 3.07 times higher.

Take it easy
The authors say their results show a strong and significant increase in the incidence of cardiovascular accidents associated with the matches played during the German World Cup Soccer. Comment about an important football match, which may be associated with an intense emotional stress, can trigger an acute coronary syndrome and symptomatic cardiac arrhythmias. For them, apparently causing the onset of stress in these cases is not so much the result of the match (wins or loses) as the intense strain and excitement experienced during a dramatic match, as it is released in a penalty.

They argue that their results can not identify the exact trigger of cardiovascular accidents and suggest that lack of sleep, the eaters, excessive consumption of alcohol and snuff, and the failure of medical treatment of these patients should be considered among the possible causes.

Conclude that a football match to see stressful increases the risk of a cardiovascular accident, more than double. In view of excess risk, particularly in men with previously known heart disease, preventive measures are needed urgently.

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