It's not infrequent that we hear from our friends and family members saying "I literally got a heart attack watching that match" particularly a thriller or a high profile game with a lot of expectations and a nail biter.
Is it a fact or fiction ? Let's explore scientifically
Normally , our body functions in a well coordinated manner controlled primarily by nervous system and endocrine system
Heart is innervated by autonomic nervous system both sympathetics and parasympathetics.Sympathetics is more and more concerned with Flight/Fight response in periods of acute stress,which is necessary for survival. Parasympathetics calms down the body, for rest, digestion and repair which is a basal state to keep the body in harmony.
Sympathetics increase heart rate and cardiac output and are augmented by adrenal hormones secreted in times of stress.
Emotional stress is a well-known trigger of acute coronary syndromes.The increased sympathetic drive is generally considered a dangerous chronic condition in patients with occult or known coronary artery disease.
Emotional stress is driven to our brain by the peripheral sensitive apparatus eliciting a complex reflex including central and autonomic nervous systems with sympathovagal recruitment and adrenal stimulation with increasing catecholamine plasmatic concentration. The final effect of rising blood pressure, tachycardia , sweating , and peripheral vasoconstriction.
When one is emotionally attached to cricket match, in terms of nationality, he gets deeply connected that the sympathetic system is several times more and more activated to increase the heart rate and cardiac output that for few minutes he may feel the pounding heart in the close context.He may experience the same level of stress which the player experiences in the field just by watching the broadcast.The basic difference is the player is fit physically to endure the amount of stress involved in a game because of increased cardiovascular reserve and collateral circulation which come into play to tackle the inadvertent situations whereas the normal ordinary men in the middle age & old age , most of them being metabolically unhealthy with poor cardiovascular reserve and poor collateral circulation.
If the coronary circulation is blocked by atherosclerotic plaque , it is manifested by symptoms of chest pain during physical exertion which is otherwise unrevealing during normal day to day activities.This is what we call stable angina.Our Indian sub-population is having poor cardiovascular health because of poor nutrition and sedentarism, even our former Indian Skippers like Kapil Dev & Savrou Ganguly are not exemption who suffered from heart attacks and underwent angioplasty.
We always have heard in the news about tens of heart attacks and unprecedented deaths while watching cricket matches particularly between India & Pakistan. When it is a close contest between the two sides, the nervousness is increased several fold.In India cricket is a sensation and not just a game of bat & ball. For people with normal cardiovascular reserve, it is not much of a problem tackling the sympathetic overdrive. But for people with compromised cardiovascular reserve , particularly the old aged and middle aged-increased sympathetic stimulation during excitement increases heart rate by 2-3 times that of normal, with heart pounding fast. It can cause discrepancy i.e., increased demand in cardiac work vs poor increase in blood supply demand.It can cause myocardial ischemia when sustained for a considerable time can finally trigger heart attacks with poor outcome.Coronary spasms occur most commonly in smokers , insulin resistance & emotional stress.
Heartbreak and broken heart are popular definitions of sudden cardiac death related to grief.
In patients with chronic coronary artery disease, the so-called “vulnerable patients” with multiple risk factors such as metabolic syndrome, active smoke, hypertension and diabetes the emotional stress can elicit a catecholamine direct toxic effect on a vulnerable plaque in the coronary artery tree leading to vessel occlusion.
Also, short-term severe stressful situations often can cause severe but usually temporary heart failure. This condition is called broken heart syndrome, also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, apical ballooning syndrome or stress cardiomyopathy
Cricket is a game to be enjoyed in a sportive manner just like any other sport.
High Emotional attachment is unnecessary and unwanted ones : love cricket ; play cricket & watch cricket but you should be grounded to reality. It is never a matter of life and death. Know your purpose in your life.Media hypes it for their commercial purpose !!!
There are a lot of things going on in Cricket in terms of politics, Corporates and entertainment sectors which become more and more evident during IPL matches being played every year.
“ Give them bread and circuses and they will never Revolt”. The modern day circuses are the IPL cricket and T20s.
Roman’s Colosseum: The era of Gladiators
Cricket stadium : The Modern day Colosseum
The evil was not in bread and circuses per se, but the willingness of the people to sell their rights as free men for full bellies and the excitement of the games which the other human hungers which bread and circuses can never appease.
In a political context, the phrase means to generate public approval , not by excellence in public service or public policy, but by diversion, distraction , or by satisfying the immediate or base requirements of a populace, by offering them a palliative : for example food ( bread ) or entertainment ( circuses ). It is particularly relevant to the current Indian Political system.
It’s possible that stress reduction exercises might calm down the mechanism that converts stress to heart attacks and strokes.
In fact, stress reduction tactics—like increasing your physical activity, practicing mindfulness, deep breathing, even seeing a funny movie— reduce both the size and activity of the amygdala, while having beneficial impacts on other brain tissue, too. So do your heart a solid by calming your racing mind.
Increase physical exercise.
Find an exercise regimen that works for you. This can include daily walks or riding a bicycle. Start slow and gradually lengthen these regimens over time.
Practice relaxation exercises.
Incorporate muscle relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, to deal with anxiety and stress into your daily routine.
Make a connection to your spirituality.
Spirituality helps to give your life a clearer purpose and a greater connection to the world and others. It's not necessarily connected to a specific belief system or even religious worship. Try prayer, meditation or keep a journal to express your feelings and focus your attention.
Seek professional help.
Get an annual physical and talk to your health care provider about your health, including psychosocial stress.
* Eat a healthy diet
* Avoid added sugars, refined oils , trans fats, and highly refined carbs
* Limit alcohol- it acts a toxin and hence no safer upper limit
* Stop smoking.
* If you smoke, plan to quit.
* Monitor your heart health.
* Know your numbers for blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol.
Dr. Thangadurai
