LONDON: British scientists have found medical evidence of something every football fan knows – penalty shoot-outs can be heart-stoppers.
And they suggest that, in the interests of public health, shoot-outs should be banned.
The British Medical Journal said researchers who studied England’s World Cup matches in 1998 found heart attacks increased by 25% when England lost to Argentina after a shoot-out.
“These findings support the view that heart attacks can be triggered by emotional upset, such as watching your football team lose an important match – particularly those in which there is a penalty shoot-out,” the journal said.
Researchers from the University of Bristol and University of Birmingham said fans would have experienced a fair amount of tension before and during the England-Argentina match – both countries always produced intense rivalry and it was a shoot-out.
They found the risk of admission for heart attacks increased by 25% on June 30 – the day of the England-Argentina match – and the following two days. – Reuters
