SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Super Bowl Sunday is a welcome chance for many to dig into favorite game-day snacks and pick a side to support. However, stressing over the final score may have some health impacts.

A study in the 1980’s in Los Angeles revealed death rates increased following the Ram’s loss in Super Bowl 14 and fell after their win in Super Bowl 18. Also in New England, in the eight days after the Giants ruined the Patriots perfect season in Super Bowl 42, cardiac-related deaths increased by between 20 and 25-percent in Massachusetts. At the heart of that stress, with a side of chicken wings.

“Part of that is the racing heart, the sweating, the nervousness. And that stress response can lead to trigger heart attacks. The Super Bowl is a time when we eat to much and drink too much alcohol. Those kinds of things can be triggers for heart attacks,” said Dr. Quinn Pack, a cardiologist at Baystate Health.

No hometown teams may make for a stress-free weekend for local football fans but there’s an all new way in Massachusetts to get your heart pounding.

“We do know that gambling is associated with coronary heart disease and gambling losses are associated. I can’t help but imagine that sports betting puts more stress on the outcome of the game,” said Dr. Pack.

Dr. Pack said if you’re feeling especially stressed on Sunday, take a walk in the fresh air and if you have a family history of heart disease, pay special attention to your diet and don’t bet the house.