It’s no secret that here in the land down under, we love our sport. Football or not, Australians are amongst the most passionate supporters in the world. A newly-discovered fact also shows that we don’t fall victim to heart problems when a big game is on the line.

When crunch games are shown in Europe, cardiac-related hospitals experience surges in admissions, but thankfully, that doesn’t happen in our wide brown land.

According to a news story from the UK’s BBC, as well as a Sydney University study that featured in the Medical Journal of Australia, hospitals in Australia did not admit more patients suffering heart attacks around the time of important matches.

The study examined admission rates during two exciting matches watched
by thousands.



The first was the 2005 AFL grand final between Sydney and West Coast and the second was when the Qantas Socceroos qualified for the FIFA World Cup against Uruguay. Researchers discovered that the number of heart-related admissions on the days of both matches did not increase.

In European studies however, the results were much different. Admission rates for heart attacks actually surged 25% almost immediately after England’s 1998 loss to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Finals. That equated to an extra 55 admissions over what doctors expected.

So keep supporting your side with as much gusto as usual!

To learn more about heart problems or to make donations to Australia’s leading heart health charity, please visit www.heartfoundation.com.au

Reproduced from TheFull90 – the official matchday magazine of the Hyundai A-League www.a-league.com.au Get it at the game!