Before you think how someone’s heart could be broken, you better think twice. New study sheds light on one of the most controversial questions: could we really die from a broken heart?
A team of bold scientists took the path of mending hearts and found something intriguing.
Here is what you need to know.
The ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ Explained
The new study has found why people sometimes die from a broken heart after stressful life events, including breakups or grief. Apparently, such things can highly increase the levels of some molecules of “broken heart syndrome.”
As earlier said, it’s better to think twice when you decide to end up things with someone or when you deal with grief and stress. Remember to seek help if you can’t really see a way out of any situation or if you struggle with feelings of anxiety or depression.
Study insights
The team discovered that stressful life events can highly increase the levels of two molecules in our hearts. These are vital parts in the development of something known as “takotsubo cardiomyopathy,” aka the broken heart syndrome.
The syndrome kicks in when your heart muscle is suddenly weakened and the left heart chamber suffers a change. The scientists succeeded now to associate that with microRNAs-16 and -26a.
Those two molecules can control how genes are decoded and enabled during stressful life events. And that’s not all.
Might molecules
The molecules are also linked to stress, depression, and anxiety. Such a thing means that prolonged-term distress followed by a session of dramatic shock could trigger broken heart syndrome.
Takotsubo syndrome is a sudden and potentially catastrophic heart problem, but out knowledge about what causes it remains limited,” explained Prof Metin Avkiran, an associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation.
The recent research is not only a vital step towards a better understanding of this peculiar syndrome. It could also offer a new perspective to identify and successfully treat people at risk of broken heart syndrome.
Remember that discussing with a specialist any stressful situations or feelings could save your life.