On Wednesday, the New York Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the last seconds of the game, the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.
This stunning achievement was thrilling for fans to watch — and stressful. For passionate fans, the rollercoaster of a close sports game can wreak havoc on your blood pressure and heart. That’s when the emotional anguish and electric atmosphere of watching a a nail-biting game, or “fanxiety,” can feel all too real.
In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults, and multiple studies have found that cardiac events spike during and right after major sports games.
A 2022 study published in Current Problems in Cardiology reviewed cardiovascular studies related to watching sports and found that die-hard soccer, rugby, football and baseball fans had higher risks of dying from a cardiovascular event, particularly when fans watched close games of the final stages of competitions. The risk was higher with people who had a history of coronary artery disease.
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