While watching their favorite team, the most hardcore fans experience stress levels so high as to increase the risk of heart attack. To warn is a study published in the journal Stress and Health, which tested the presence of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the saliva of the fans during three games of the Brazil 2014 World Championships.
Previous research has shown an increase in heart attacks among fans during major matches. In their study, researchers from the University of Oxford monitored the saliva cortisol levels of 40 Brazilian fans and supporters before, during and after three World Cup games. They found, particularly during the historic home defeat in the semifinal against Germany, which ended 7-1, skyrocketing cortisol levels, a particularly dangerous parameter, because it is linked to increased blood pressure and heart fatigue, especially if it is already weakened .
"Occasional supporters also experience stress, but not as strongly as those who identify with their team," explains researcher Martha Newson. "However, there were no differences in stress levels between men and women - he underlines - despite the prejudice according to which men are more tied to their football teams". The stadiums, the researchers conclude, should turn down the lights and play relaxing music after the games and the clubs could consider offering cardiac screenings or other health measures to the most committed supporters. (ANSA)