"It seems that there's a grain of truth to one old wives' tale; it
turns out that you really can die of a broken heart.
The Wall Street Journal reports on a phenomena called 'broken-heart
syndrome,' which often occurs after great emotional distress. Quoting:
'In a conventional heart attack, an obstructed artery starves the
heart muscle of oxygenated blood, quickly resulting in the death of
tissue and potentially permanently compromising heart function.
In contrast, the heart muscle in broken-heart-syndrome patients is stunned in the adrenaline surge and appears to go into hibernation. Little tissue is lost.'
In the article a doctor notes, 'The cells are alive, but mechanically or electrically disabled.' Documented cases track heart attacks in people with seemingly healthy hearts after the grief of the death of a loved one. Intense feelings can cause the heart actually to change shape. Doctors note that while strong emotions like grief are usually associated with the syndrome, stress or a migraine can also trigger such heart attacks."
