Can People Die of a Broken Heart?

 

Debbie Reynolds’ son, Todd Fisher, said his mother told him that the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher, was “too much” for her.

On Wednesday, one day after Fisher’s death, Reynolds, 84, died.

“I want to be with Carrie,” is what she said just before her death, Todd Fisher told the Associated Press.

Can people die because they are so upset over the loss of a loved one? Some call it “broken heart syndrome¹.”

The American Heart Association lists a “broken heart” as a medical condition. It reports that it can lead to sudden intense chest pain, especially for women.

The good news, it said, is most people make a full recovery.

Debbie Reynolds was a movie star, beginning with her starring role in 1952 with Gene² Kelly in “Singin’ in the Rain.” Fisher, 60, won fame through books, movies and plays. She is best known for playing Princess Leia in four of the “Star Wars” movies.

All of Us Feel Loss

Susan Gennaro is dean³ of the William F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College. She said all people have felt or will feel the loss of a loved one that leaves them feeling like their heart is breaking.

That can bring on stress, which can affect a person’s health, Gennaro said. That is especially true for a person who already has health problems.

Gennaro said she does not believe people know how to control their bodies “to the point that we can will ourselves to die.”

But, people can make the decision to “give up” on life, or to fight and hang on, she said.

“I don't know why we are surprised as we also all have stories of people who were dying and waited until a loved one arrived before dying or some other important event,” Gennaro said.

For people who believe that death is followed by an afterlife, it can make sense to want to join a loved one who passed away, Gennaro added.

“It makes all the sense in the world that Debbie Reynolds having lived a full life would prefer to ‘pass’ to another existence with her daughter,” Gennaro said.

Grief⁴ brings with it stress

Harvard University’s School of Public Health did a study in 2013 that examined health information for 26,000 Americans over age 50.

It found an increased chance of dying after a spouse⁵ dies. People who lost a wife or a husband had a 66 percent increased chance of dying three months after the spouse’s death, the Harvard researchers said.

David Kessler is a grief expert who has written five books about losing a loved one.

“There is a stress that comes with deep heart break and that stress can affect your heart,” Kessler said. “For some people that passes. But, in some cases, people die from it.”

Kessler said his advice to people experiencing loss of a loved one is to accept the pain and sadness.

“We often want to run away from the pain, but that grief will actually help us heal in time if we don’t run away from it,” Kessler said.

Kessler is still dealing⁶ with his own grief. His 21-year-old son died unexpectedly on September 12.

“I’ve worked many years with people going through grief,” Kessler said. “This year, it’s personal. I certainly feel a kinship with Debbie. Your heart is just so broken when you lose a child. I can see at 84 years old, she was just done.”

Words in This Story

upset - n. a period of worry and unhappiness caused by something that has happened

syndrome - n. a disease or disorder⁷ that involves a particular group of signs and symptoms

stress - n. a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life

existence - n. the state of existing

spouse - n. someone who is married -- a husband or a wife

grief - n. deep sadness caused especially by someone's death

actually - adv. used to refer to what is true or real

1 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

2 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

3 Dean   

n.(大学)院长，系主任，教务长

参考例句：

• The students much like the new dean.学生们很喜欢这位新系主任。
• Who is the dean of the Foreign Languages Department?外语系主任是谁？

4 grief   

n.悲伤，悲痛，悲伤的事，悲痛的缘由

参考例句：

• Don't allow yourself to sink into grief,it can do no good.不要使自己陷入悲哀之中，这样一点好处也没有。
• After her mother died,she abandoned herself to grief.母亲死后，她沉浸于悲痛之中。

5 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。