On September 29, 2024, an X user @drpenking posted a video on the platform with the claim that a man died at a casino after winning a whopping amount of money and that the heart attack was triggered by strong emotions of excitement.
His caption reads: “This man won $4 million at a casino then died moments later of a heart attack. Yes, strong emotions whether positive or negative can trigger a heart attack.”
The video which shows a lifeless body on the floor with people surrounding has since garnered about 44,000 views, 13 comments, 43 reposts and quotes, 158 likes and 18 bookmarks.
However, a comment from an X user, named @Feedy_disturber said, “it’s a lie joor,” suggesting the video and claim was false information while @KayDorms also replied under the post saying, “Strong emotions didn’t trigger his heart attack. He already had an underlying heart condition known or unknown to him. Strong emotions alone are not enough to cause that otherwise everybody go don get heart attack finish.”
The doubt being shared under the post has prompted NV-A to verify the event surrounding the video and the claims that accompanied it.
VERIFICATION
A screenshot of the video was subjected to a Google reverse image check and we discovered that the first time the video appeared online was in June 2024. The reverse image search also contained a result that led us to an X post from June 27, 2024 by @TabZLIVE explaining the man’s situation and that he is out of danger.
Further search led us to an article in The Sun UK which confirmed that the incident happened on June 22, 2024. Casino.org also clarified the situation surrounding the incident. According to the article published on the online gaming website, the incident occurred at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Casino in Singapore.
Also, it clarified that the man won 4 million Singapore Dollars which is equivalent to 2.95 million US dollars at the time. The report revealed that “the man is recovering and is expected to enjoy his riches once back to full health.” Though the winner’s identity was not disclosed in the news report. The man’s health status was corroborated by The Sun UK and TNP.
Can strong emotions whether positive or negative trigger a heart attack?
@drpenking also claimed that strong emotions whether positive or negative can trigger a heart attack. The researcher looked through medical journals to support or disprove this claim. Just as broken heart syndrome can lead to an unusual type of heart attack, a new study which appeared in the May 2022 issue of JACC: Heart Failure has confirmed that positive emotions can also trigger a heart attack, labelling it a “happy heart syndrome.”
A Harvard Medical School article on the study explained that physical stressors, including medical conditions or procedures, can cause the problem, which leads to temporary changes in the heart’s shape and is more common among women. But the 2022 research found that in rare cases, stress cardiomyopathy occurs with joyful events — a birthday party, a wedding, or the birth of a grandchild, for example — and most of these cases were in men.
