How Knicks NBA Finals run is testing fans' hearts, health

The ecstasy and agony of the Knicks playoff run, with dramatic comebacks and last-second heroics, is enough to give you a heart attack.

Though rare, that's really not an exaggeration.

Knicks fan and Stony Brook cardiologist Dr. Tahmid Rahman said for some fans, the stress of a high-stakes sports event can trigger a heart attack.

"It is a known thing," said Rahman. "It's only in the patients that are at severe risk, who have blockages or are just really unhealthy. They have a chance at having a heart attack ... extreme stress would cause that."

People with a history of coronary artery disease, smokers, those with high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease, should monitor their symptoms. 

"Those are the people who we want to be very mindful of don’t get too excited," said Rahman, who accessorized his scrubs Friday with Nike sneakers featuring the Knicks’ team colors of blue and orange and a Knicks cap.

A 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at German fans during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and found on days when the German team played, the number of cardiac emergencies was more than 2.66 times greater.

"Viewing a stressful soccer match more than doubles the risk of an acute cardiovascular event," the report read. "In view of this excess risk, particularly in men with known coronary heart disease, preventive measures are urgently needed."

Fitbits, Apple Watches and other devices that fans wear warn them if their heart rate increases.

"They do a good job of understanding what your normal resting heart rate is," Rahman said. "You are sitting down and then all of a sudden your heart rate is spiking up — that's what happens with these exciting games."

The adrenaline rush, along with consuming alcohol and salty food, and dehydration is the "perfect storm" for heart rates to go high, setting the personal monitors off.

Mental health impacts

That stress and anxiety before, during and after every game can also wear down the mental health of Knicks fans, said Christopher Fisher, a psychologist in private practice in Rockville Centre and director of adult outpatient psychiatry at Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital.

Fans are up late celebrating or commiserating, which means they are getting to work, school or other obligations in the morning exhausted.

Even when things are going their way, fans may fear the worst.

"As a Knicks fan, you're up three games to one, you know the odds to win this championship are high," he said. "However, it feels like every single second, every single play is a make-or-break play."

On a positive note, the Knicks have brought together diverse groups of fans, at the games, on the streets and in restaurants who are joyfully celebrating together — at least most of the time.

"What the Knicks have done for New York City is amazing. in terms of just bringing people together for one cause, and fostering a strong sense of connectedness and community," he said.

Rahman, the cardiologist, said he turns to breathing exercises when he finds himself getting stressed while watching the games. That usually comes in the last quarter, where time-outs are frequent and tensions are high.

Severe emotional and physical stress can cause a flood of adrenaline in the body leading to another health condition called stress cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome. Its symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath and fainting.

"Surging adrenaline can put so much stress on the heart that the heart actually fails," he said. "It's usually very reversible after the stress has gone away. We see this a lot, especially when a close friend or family member passes away.

"I haven't heard that with the Knicks yet," he said, adding "but I wouldn't be surprised."

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.