Broken Heart Syndrome
Tue February 15th, 2005, 12:37 AM EST | 0 comments
Just in time for Valentine's days, doctors have discovered what they call "broken heart syndrome".
The sudden death of a loved one triggers "classic heart attack-like symptoms, including chest pain, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs. Unlike a heart attack, the condition is reversible. Patients often are hospitalized but typically recover within days after little more than bedrest and fluids and suffer no permanent damage to their hearts". Previously, this syndrome was often confused with heart attacks, but "doctors at Johns Hopkins University demonstrated through sophisticated heart tests how it differs from a heart attack, and offered an explanation for what causes it."