Should heart patients watch the final match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Uzbekistan?

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Quang Tuan - Director of Hanoi Heart Hospital (photo above), football in particular and sports in general have positive effects on the cardiovascular system. The breathlessness and tension during the match are positive stress, that is, positive stress.

The feelings of “heart stopping”, “heart pounding”… in dramatic matches are just emotions that the hearts of normal people or sick people can completely endure.

“Our hearts are trained after every football match,” said Associate Professor, Dr. Quang Tuan.

In particular, when the match ends with a positive result, the body will secrete a happy hormone, excitement that helps the heart beat faster, the blood vessels dilate and the body is nourished more. It helps us live healthier, love life and be closer to each other.

“In the joy of victory, we ignore all social barriers, all of Vietnam is one. This is an extremely important effect of football, not only as a sport but also as a bond,” said Dr. Tuan.

As evidence for this, Associate Professor Dr. Tuan said that, except for patients in the emergency room who were in special condition, nearly 400 inpatients (patients with severe heart disease who could not be treated as outpatients) still watched football matches, especially the quarter-final and semi-final matches of the U23 Vietnam team, and there were absolutely no problems. There were even normal patients who complained of chest pain and tightness, but during the entire match they became normal people.

“Up to now, the hospital has not recorded any cases of emergency or emergency consultation related to cardiovascular problems caused by football,” Associate Professor, Dr. Quang Tuan said.

Associate Professor Dr. Quang Tuan also noted the risk of traffic accidents due to going out on the street after drinking too much after celebrating a traffic accident victory or stress due to losing a bet, leading to burning down a house, committing suicide...

How much does your heart rate increase when watching an exciting match?

A small study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology in late 2017 found that watching a sports match can put as much stress on your heart as playing the match yourself.

Accordingly, 20 adults living in Montreal, with no history of heart disease, provided general information about their health as well as how they bet on their local hockey team.

Next, University of Montreal scientists measured their heart rates as they watched a match between their home team and an opposing team. Half watched on television and half watched in person.

Researchers found that the participants’ pulse rates increased by 75% when watching a match on television and by 110% when watching a live match. This was equivalent to a 39-minute moderate workout and a 72-minute intense workout.

In total, the volunteers’ heart rates increased by an average of 92 percent during the match, from a resting rate of about 60 beats per minute to a peak of 114 beats per minute. Heart rates increased significantly during scoring opportunities for both teams and throughout the match, not just at the start or at overtime.

“Gambling is not associated with this condition but rather an emotional response,” the study authors wrote, “and that is the experience of excitement during the climax of a match.”

Interestingly, there was no significant difference in whether people were true fans of a particular team. Their heart rates were not affected by being surrounded by passionate fans or by their gender. The authors say the design of the questionnaire was adapted from previous studies, which made the results more accurate.

Previous studies have shown an association between sporting events and an increased risk of heart attack and sudden death in some spectators, particularly those with coronary artery disease.

Accordingly, a match is also a source of “stress” that can increase markers of inflammation and constrict blood vessels in people with heart problems. And while these effects did not have any negative effects on the volunteers, scientists believe it could trigger a heart problem.

However, researchers at Zuckerberg Hospital San Francisco and the University of Montreal both said the evidence for heart events caused by triggers, including sporting events, is unclear.

“If we assume that external factors trigger heart problems, then preventive strategies will not be helpful.”

Watching a game is just one of those activities that is more important to quality of life than it is to any health risk.”

But scientists also expressed caution, advising patients to talk to their doctors about the potential risks of watching high-stakes sporting events.