For football fans, the World Cup should be a time of fun with family and friends. But beware, experts say, it can also sicken or even kill you. Research has pointed to a long list of hazards ranging from heart attacks and strokes, to unsafe sex, accidents, suicides, and a spike in domestic abuse. “It is not just a game,” warned a 2010 study in the American Journal of Medicine which said major sporting events “can acutely increase cardiovascular event and death rates.” Most at risk are patients with known coronary artery disease, it said, or those who find themselves in particularly stressful circumstances: “a passionate fan, a high-stakes game, a high-intensity game, a loss, and a loss played at home.” Many a football fan may have shouted at the TV that they “nearly had a heart attack” when their team missed a shot at goal or let an opposing player through to score. But this is not something to joke about. Research has repeatedly shown that psychological triggers such as stress, anxiety, and anger — emotions any sports fan can relate to — can bring on a heart attack. “We know that this is an exciting time but don’t forget about your heart health,” advises Julie Ward, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. Measures to reduce risk include using blood-thinning aspirin, meditation, and avoiding activities such as smoking, eating artery-clogging, fatty foods, or binging on alcohol or drugs. – Eye strokes – It found a 50… [Read full story]
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