Can Halloween frights affect your heart? What cardiologists explain

Can spooky Halloween moments like horror movies or haunted houses actually be dangerous for your heart? In rare cases, yes — and some people face a higher risk than others.

For many people, Halloween is simply a time for trick-or-treating, costumes, candy and parties.

For others, it centers on eerie attractions: haunted houses, jump-scare movies and creepy decorations.

That raises an unsettling question: can those frightening moments literally scare someone to death?

In theory, yes, but cardiologist Jeff Ziffra of Advocate Health said it is uncommon and unlikely.

“Often when we're scared, we get a jolt, a sudden rush of adrenaline, our blood pressure and heart rate raise,” Ziffra said in an interview with NBC Chicago. He said pre-existing conditions or underlying heart disease usually play a role, since those spikes can trigger cardiac problems.

“It can also cause an issue known as broken heart syndrome, or what we call stress-induced cardiomyopathy that looks and feels like a heart attack, heart failure,” Ziffra said. “And very rarely, death.”

The American Heart Association says that when a person feels frightened or thinks they are in danger, the brain releases adrenaline. That speeds up the heart and can push the body into a fight-or-flight response.

The group also says the response can affect the liver and pancreas.

In a post from the American Heart Association, Dr. Vincent Bufalino, a cardiologist and president of Advocate Medical Group in Downers Grove, said the effect usually depends on how intense the scare is.

“You can have a sudden cardiac-related event related to an adrenaline surge, but I think it would be a stretch to say you could get that from someone coming in a werewolf costume to your front door,” he said in the post. “This is the kind of thing that you can't prepare for. If it happens, it happens, and you hope your body doesn't overreact to that event.”

People with healthy hearts are generally less affected by emotional swings. But Ziffra said those with risk factors such as known heart disease, rhythm problems, a previous heart attack or a family history of heart trouble may want to avoid especially frightening activities.

“Adrenaline is a funny thing,” Bufalino said. “We can't measure it. The precipitating events are diverse. Your response to an event might be different than mine.”