PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - W Kirkup AU - D W Merrick TI - A matter of life and death: population mortality and football results AID - 10.1136/jech.57.6.429 DP - 2003 Jun 01 TA - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health PG - 429--432 VI - 57 IP - 6 4099 - http://jech.bmj.com/content/57/6/429.short 4100 - http://jech.bmj.com/content/57/6/429.full SO - J Epidemiol Community Health2003 Jun 01; 57 AB - Objectives: To determine whether football results are associated with mortality from circulatory disease. Design: Retrospective study, comparing mortality on days of football matches between 18 August 1994 and 28 December 1999 with the results of the football matches. Setting: Newcastle and North Tyneside, Sunderland, Tees, and Leeds Health Authority areas of England. Subjects: All persons resident in Newcastle and North Tyneside, Sunderland, Tees, and Leeds Health Authority areas of England. Main outcome measures: Mortality attributable to acute myocardial infarction and stroke. Results: On days when the local professional football team lost at home, mortality attributable to acute myocardial infarction and stroke increased significantly in men (relative risk 1.28, 95% confidence intervals 1.11 to 1.47). No increase was observed in women. Conclusions: Results achieved by the local professional football team are associated systematically with circulatory disease death rates over a five year period in men, but not women.