No it can't I asked my physician that because I wake up in major panic attacks to t he point where I can't breath and dizzy and heart pounding to the point where you can see the heart beating reaction at my pressure points. He said no the worse thing that will happen is that I will hyperventilate from my heart pumping too much oxygen and I pass out which is what hyperventialtion does and in which case when I am passed out I am no longer in fear because I am out cold so my heart rte will automatically return to normal and then I wake up. Kind of like when someone holds their breath their heart starts beating hard to pump more oxygen and the person passes out and returns to normal breathing and heart rate.

The only way any damage can be done is if the person already has a pre-existing heart desease or heart problem. in which case panic attacks can trigger a heart attack if the person already has a heart condition in which they already experience heart attacks. In which case they were probably due for a pace maker anyway.

He also pointed out people like runners and other sports type activities. That speeds up the heart rate and intensity but yet no olympic runner had to be carted off the track or marathon route due to their sped up and intesified heart beat caused damage to their heart. if so they would only run one race and then be declaired medically unfit to participate in another olympic race since entrants go through complete physicals before being declaired completely physically fit to enter the races and so on.

There is an elementary teacher here that runs the NYcity and I think in boston marathons every time and she is out back here running here heart off to the max and has not missed a marathon in the 13 years I have lived here.