Can you die from a broken heart, really?
Source:
When someone loses a loved one or going through a terrible loss, people say that his heart is broken. But we tend to think that it is a figure of speech, which is usually used to describe the mental pain associated with the loss of a loved one. Can a broken heart be manifested in physical symptoms? It turns out, Yes. Moreover, in rare cases, it can become life-threatening.
Last December Debbie Reynolds died only a few days after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, died suddenly of a heart attack. According to The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers may have found another case in Texas: a study published this week, described a woman with pain in the heart, which could be caused by the loss of her beloved pet.
This phenomenon is not fully understood. But the potential cases arise often enough to have a name: Takotsubo syndrome, or cardiomyopathy Takotsubo. From Japanese it means "octopus trap". The name reflects the path of development problems. Classic heart attack forms a clot (usually from plaque) in blood vessels. It interferes with the blood flow that carries vital oxygen to the heart. But in the case of the syndrome Takotsubo powerful heart attack occurs without any identifiable clot.
Takotsubo Symptoms mimic heart attack. The patient often complains of shortness of breath, he has dangerously increased blood pressure and chest pain. But instead of the clot is to blame a weakened heart muscle. Clinical reports and studies of the syndrome Takotsubo show that the condition almost always occurs in people who have experienced serious injury or extreme emotional distress — lost loved one, especially a spouse or child.
The Cause of the syndrome is probably associated with the hormonal response to extreme stress, according to the study, published in the aforementioned magazine in 2005. When someone is exposed to a particularly traumatic event, the body often releases a flood of stress hormones into the bloodstream. Stress hormones themselves can cause weakening of the muscles in the heart. If you look at the heart, it is as if tightly compressed in the lower part and the upper slightly inflated. Approximately behave octopus caught in a trap.
Although Takotsubo syndrome can affect people at any age, it is rarely fatal. In most cases, the person recovers within a few weeks. But in certain situations can result in death. Last year in The New York Times has a report that said that because Takotsubo syndrome mainly affects women and is usually fatal in older women — the doctors believe that estrogen may play a protective role for blood vessels of the heart. As estrogen levels decline with age, the elderly women fall in the high risk of death.
So Yes, in some cases, "broken heart" can be not just a popular expression. This can be a natural end for a person.
Recommended
The coronavirus has mutated into 30 new strains
While coronavirus Apocalypse slowly but inevitably becomes routine, the virus SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve. And, unfortunately, he was good at it. Writes , with reference to the South China Morning Post reports that new studies show that the virus ...
In the United States recognized that the ventilator dies 88% of patients with coronavirus
When the world is raging coronavirus that causes pneumonia and kills people, the only solution is intensive care. If this is not done, the victims will be very much. Today for severe patients there is only one solution — connected to the appara...
Can a transfusion of blood plasma to cure the coronavirus?
Typically, vaccination involves the introduction into the organism of the weakened or killed microorganisms (viruses) designed to create a strong immunity to possible future infectious diseases — that is, for selection of antibodies. But what i...
Related News
Russian scientists have synthesized a molecule that prevents HIV infection
Finding cures for dangerous diseases do, many experts around the world. But the disease is known, it is easier to prevent than to treat. And recently, Russian scientists from the Federal research and clinical center for physical-c...
Rare case: patient in Italy sweating blood
Excessive sweating can lead to unpleasant sensations and stains on clothing, but at least you are sweating then. But the Italian patient is sweating blood. 21-year-old patient presented for medical examination after three years of...
Found able to protect against cancer molecules-suicide
American Scientists at northwestern University in a series of experiments came to the conclusion that some RNA molecules are able to run in the cells self-destruct sequence. Continuing research, they figured out how to use this fe...
Artificial pancreas to help diabetics control blood sugar levels
Under the name most often refers to diabetes mellitus, which in human blood increases the level of glucose. The name comes from the Greek word "diabalo", meaning "to pass through". The first symptoms of this disease were discovere...
Six brilliant alternatives to antibiotics that lose their effectiveness
Excessive use of antibiotics leads to the fact that they are becoming less and less effective when we are more — and scientists are hastily looking for a way to fix it. In front of you contains the best ideas of how to curb one of...
Russian scientists have found a way to detect cancer before it arrives
prevention of serious diseases is much more important than the treatment of these diseases. After all, if the disease be prevented, and treatment is not required. As for cancer, then statistics are depressing: every year the numbe...
The genes of Neanderthals associated with poor sleep and obesity
Genetics has firmly established that about two percent of the DNA of all living people outside of Africa was transferred from our relatives, the Neanderthals. Hard to imagine why our ancestors first decided to mate with them. In t...
Tomsk scientists have created artificial bone from vegetable gelatin
the Problem of Transplantology in the last time is particularly acute, and to help people to improve their health and "wait" on the right will help artificial organs. If a bone marrow transplant, liver or kidney, more or less debu...
Cancel old age. Is it necessary?
Eternal youth attracted the minds of people — I dare say — thousands of years. But imagine that we have finally reached this goal. What's next? In the 1850s the life expectancy in many countries was only 40 years old. Today, that ...
In Switzerland developed the first edible robot
the Developers of the Federal Polytechnic school in Lausanne laboratory of intelligent systems have created the world's first edible robot, whose descendants, they believe, will in the future be useful in medicine. Soft robotics...
Developed a method of creating a retina with the help of 3D printing
the Us national Institute of view, constantly looking for new ways of dealing with the visually impaired and spends a lot of time and money on research and development. One of the most successful work in recent time has become a l...
MeTro – unique glue, wound healing
today, there are , the purpose of which is to create a universal , able to stop the bleeding or heal the wound on the human body. Different research teams approach the problem from different sides. Take scientists from Australian ...
Russian scientists used ultrasound to remove a cancerous tumor
the Question of surgical removal of tumors at the last time is particularly acute because, according to statistics, the number of identified cancer cases is steadily increasing. And this, in turn, means that it is necessary to dev...
Nobel prize for medicine was awarded for discoveries in the field of chronobiology
the Nobel prize is awarded for more than 100 years, and its winners are the most outstanding scientists from around the world. Every year dozens of candidates are considered by the Nobel Committee. Each opening is awarded, able to...
Russian scientists have created a material for the production of artificial muscles
the Development of artificial muscles, scientists are already not the first year. The creation of a complete muscle will make it possible to produce high-tech prostheses for people with disabilities, greatly improving their qualit...
Chinese robot dentist himself performed the first operation
the Robot dentist, created by the Chinese developers started to work and even independently carried out the first operation. The result was new jaw — the robot put the patient new teeth. Software for the robot and the ...
Scientists for the first time "turned off" the gene in the human embryo
Genetics in animal experiments have long been used by the editor of the genome of CRISPR/Cas9, scientists from the United States first in the world moved to a new stage of testing: experiments on humans. They were able to successf...
Five technologies that can read your thoughts, and examples of their use
People who are called "vegetables", that is being sustained in a vegetative state, unable to move a finger, even the eyes. They were also considered to be fully unconscious, while Adrian Owen, who is currently working at Western U...
Created a vaccine against dental caries
we are All accustomed to vaccines. In early childhood we make vaccines against diphtheria, measles, whooping cough. Then vaccinated against hepatitis and other dangerous diseases. Annual vaccination against the flu will help not g...
A microscopic robot has been taught to sort DNA molecules
Nanobots capable of working inside the human body, are extremely promising development. They make a diagnosis, to monitor people's health and even cure diseases. But something new in this area invented by scientists from the Calif...
Comments (0)
This article has no comment, be the first!