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- Studies said that the ‘broken heart syndrome’ is real, but uncommon.
- It also stated that depression is strongly linked to heart diseases and vice versa.
Veteran actress Debbie Raynolds died shortly after her daughter’s death. This raised the questions about the possibility of a person dying of a broken heart.
According to studies, yes, it is possible, but it’s unlikely. It may not be the reason of Reynolds’ death, but the “broken heart syndrome” is a real condition, but it’s quite uncommon for people to die from it.
So can other strong emotions cause heart disease? Yes. This is because the effects of worry, elation and love on the heart are temporary or minimal, but strong negative emotions, such as depression, anger and fear, are strongly linked to heart disease.
People with depression have an increased chance of developing a heart disease, and vice versa. If you have a heart disease, you may also have a high risk of being depressed. The likelihood is so strong that people with depression should be screened for heart disease and heart patients should be checked for depression.
The treatment of one can also reduce the link of the other. Patients with heart disease may find cardiac rehabilitation helpful with their emotional well-being. Likewise, depressed patients who exercise regularly may lower their likelihood of heart attack.
Negative emotions also cause the blood pressure to rise, increase vascular reactivity and the possibility of blood clots. This is one of the reasons why stress can cause a heart attack to those vulnerable.
On the other hand, positive emotions can help everyone live longer as it is found out that people with strong social networks and close emotional ties have less heart diseases and tend to have a better chance if ever they develop the said illness.
