Dedicated sports fans have long known that passionately supporting their team through thick and thin can come at a cost.

But few would have predicted that doing so could cause them a heart attack - particularly when their team wins.

That, however, is the principal insight of new research which established a link between a club’s sporting victory and increased heart attack risk among its fans.

The risk was found to be particularly strong among men under 55-years-old, however women fans appeared not to be affected.

Scientists have long been aware of an association between major sports events and unhealthy behavioural changes such as drinking alcohol and eating fatty foods.

For the new study, however, they set out to look for evidence that supporting a team may directly trigger a medical emergency.

Montreal Canadiens is the oldest continuous professional ice hockey team in the world and renown for the passion of its fans.

Researchers at the Montreal Heart Institute analysed admissions data for patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) - a serious type of heart attack - the day after the Montreal Canadiens played.