Cardiologist cautions against too much emotion after young man ‘dies suddenly’
One of Egypt’s top cardiologists is warning people about “Happy Heart Syndrome” after a young man died suddenly following the World Cup final championship.
According to Marca, 26-year-old Mostafa Abdel Aal had gone home after watching the World Cup final in a coffee shop. Aal expressed his happiness over Argentina's win on social media, saying it was “the best day of his life.” Aal suffered a heart attack and collapsed “immediately after,” according to the report. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to former Egyptian National Institute of Cardiology Director Gamal Shaaban, Aal died of a happy heart.
"A young man from Shubra district died two hours after the match (between Argentina and France) because of his immense happiness after Leo Messi's win. We have to learn a lesson from what happened, we don't have to exaggerate in expressing our sadness or happiness," Shaaban said on Facebook.
Other sudden fatalities were reported during the World Cup, including three journalists, though it is unclear what emotions they were expressing at the time of death.
Journalist Roger Pierce was announced dead this month while covering the World Cup in Qatar, joining two other journalists who died unexpectedly within the same week.
No cause of death has yet been reported for Pierce, who served as iTV’s technical director since 2008 and was in Qatar to cover the Wales-USA match.
"We have very sad news to bring you from here in Qatar," said presenter Mark Pougatch, according to Marca. "Our technical director, Roger Pearce, who was here for his eighth World Cup, sadly passed away. Roger was a highly respected figure in the sports broadcasting industry, for ITV he was instrumental in the logistical planning and coverage of the Rugby World Cup, Football World Cup and European Championships," said the presenter. "He always had a smile on his face and left a smile on your face," he said, calling Pearce “professional and extremely popular.”
Pierce’s death follows that of Qatari photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam, who worked for local sports outlet Al Kass TV and was covering the soccer tournament when he suddenly lost his life.
“Al-Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. We believe in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness for him, and send our deepest condolences to his family,” wrote The Gulf Times on Twitter.
Al-Misslam's death, in turn, came a day after American sports journalist Grant Wahl died suddenly while covering the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands. Wahl reportedly died of an aortic aneurysm in the press box at Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
