Modified serum profiles of inflammatory and vasoconstrictive factors in patients with emotional stress-induced acute coronary syndrome during World Cup Soccer 2006.

Objectives: We sought to assess whether emotional stress-induced acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is mediated by increased inflammatory and vasoconstrictive mediators.

Background: The World Cup soccer 2006 has been shown to provoke levels of stress sufficient to increase the incidence of ACS. However, the mechanisms by which stress translates into vascular injury up to plaque rupture still remain elusive.

Cardiovascular events during World Cup soccer.

Background: The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, held in Germany from June 9 to July 9, 2006, provided an opportunity to examine the relation between emotional stress and the incidence of cardiovascular events.

Methods: Cardiovascular events occurring in patients in the greater Munich area were prospectively assessed by emergency physicians during the World Cup. We compared those events with events that occurred during the control period: May 1 to June 8 and July 10 to July 31, 2006, and May 1 to July 31 in 2003 and 2005.