It is not just a game. Do soccer matches affect cardiovascular events?

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) could be triggered by emotions that are often associated with watching sport events. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of soccer matches on the frequency of admissions for ACS.

The study was based on the medical records of patients treated at the Clinical Hospital of Medical University of Bialystok from 2007 to 2018. All the official matches of the local team that took place during the study period were included in the analysis. A Poisson regression with a time effect of 0 and +1 day was used to assess the effect of matches.

A total of 10 529 patients admitted due to ACS from Bialystok city and county were included in the analysis. The mean age of the patients was 66.6 ±12 years, and the majority were male (62%). The mean daily number of ACS admissions was 2.4 ±1.7. Since 2007, Jagiellonia Białystok has played 451 matches in total. The comparative analysis of exciting matches showed a higher frequency of admissions due to unstable angina (UA) (1.50 ±1.55 vs. 0.71 ±0.90, p < 0.01). The lost matches played at home were associated with a 27% increase in the number of male admissions for ACS (RR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02-1.58, p = 0.03).

The results achieved by the local professional soccer team are related to the incidence of ACS in the male population. Emotions caused by lost games play an important role as a triggering factor for ACS in this group.