Watching the Super Bowl might be good or bad for your heart, depending on the team you are cheering for. During the Super Bowl, you might eat lots of salty food, drink a lot of alcohol, maybe get a little anxious, all of which can increase your risk of heart problems.

So after the particularly blood pumping 2008 Super Bowl, scientists expected health risks to increase, which happened! After the New England Patriots lost, people in Massachusetts had 24% more fatal heart attacks, and 20% more deaths from blood clots and other circulatory problems. But New York Giants fans didn't show an increase in those causes of death, even though they likely ate and drank similar stuff. In 2009, when the Steelers won the Super Bowl, Pittsburgh even saw decreased mortality. Heart attack deaths went down by 31%, and circulatory deaths by 25%.

Now, this data shows associations and isn't based on controlled experiments. But it's a reminder of the impact that stress can potentially have on our hearts. Stay safe out there, sports fans!