Physicians at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), part of Abu Dhabi’s Seha Health System, have warned of the increased risk of heart attack while viewing stressful sports matches.

This follows the treatment of a cardiac patient during the World Cup final on July 13. The patient, a 42-year-old male, is currently recovering and in a stable condition.

“Viewing a stressful sports match, like the world cup final, could trigger an acute coronary syndrome - like a heart attack - especially in patients who are already at higher risk, such as those with hypertension and diabetes,” said Dr Abdulmajeed Al Zubaidi, the cardiologist who was on call the evening of the World Cup, and is chief medical officer at SKMC.

“While there are certainly many other factors that could attribute to heart attacks, such as lack of sleep, or forgetting to take medication, it’s important that the public are aware of their cardiovascular risk and take active steps to reduce or manage it,” Dr Al Zubaidi said.

A 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, undertaken during the World Cup in Germany in 2006, remarked a stressful football match more than doubles the risk of an acute cardiovascular event, and that preventive measures are urgently needed, particularly in men with known coronary heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease is also a major complication of diabetes, and the leading cause of early death among sufferers of diabetes – according to the American Diabetes Association about 65 percent of people with diabetes die from heart disease and stroke.

Figures from the International Diabetes Federation show that almost 20 per cent of the local population are affected by diabetes, with no signs that this number decreasing. – TradeArabia News Service