Die-hard soccer fandom: A new cardiovascular risk factor

The relationship between the mind and the heart has been the subject of admiration for millennia. As early as 1500 BC, in the famous Ebers Papyrus, functions such as intelligence, thought, and moral conscience were attributed to the heart. While modern science later reassigned these functions to the brain, recent studies have partially vindicated the ancient Egyptians by discovering neural networks in the heart capable of learning, feeling, and perceiving autonomously, establishing a heartbrain dialog that remains largely unexplored. From the perspective of sports cardiology, recent publications have highlighted the potential cardiovascular risks associated with emotionally charged matches during events like the World Cup, particularly for fans of teams experiencing defeat. This paper presents a personal opinion based on years of research on this subject.