IPL Season 11: Watching sports tied to heart attack and sudden death

Are you a heart patient? Be cautious! Watching your favourite sport matches on TV can invite a lot of trouble for you.

By: Aishwarya Vaidya | | Updated: May 3, 2018 1:18 pm

Busy watching IPL Season 11? Being a sports lover, we all get disheartened if our favourite team loses. But, do you know that watching sports is linked to heart attack and sudden death?

“After watching sports, the risk of heart attack and sudden death can increase. It has two aspects to it. First and the most important is the emotional stress involved in it. A study done showed an average of 75 % rise in heart rate while watching an exciting match live on television while the same goes up to 110 % in case of a live match in a stadium. This increase in heart rate is related to emotional attachment to your favourite team and adrenaline rush due to excitement during the match. This potential increase in heart rate is equivalent to a moderate to heavy physical stress which can lead to a heart attack or stroke and other sudden emotional stress situations. This statement holds true especially for people who are already having an established cardiovascular disease or are at high risk of developing the same,” explains Dr Rahul Chhabria, Consultant Cardiologist at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre.

Read:10 ways to keep your heart healthy

The second aspect to it is prolonged periods of physical inactivity and overeating which is related to watching sports for long periods. “This adds to a risk factor for developing heart attacks or stroke in future. Also, people who already have established heart or paralytic problems are at higher risk. Also at risk are people having comorbidities such as obesity, tobacco consumption in any form, uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension.”

Read: Expert tips to reduce stress and keep your heart healthy

Dr Rahul Chhabria lists out few dos and don’ts: