Love Science

Have affairs of the heart ever left you feeling so low, you feel like you might die? Well, a recent study by British scientists suggests that you may not have been exagerating.

Image by David Julian from davidjulian.com

Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London and the Brighton & Sussex Medical School have published findings that suggest that you really can die of a broken heart. The report published in PNAS (the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - or "pee-nas" as it's affectionately known) this week shows that the 'higher' brain centres responsible for memory and emotions can have an adverse effect on heart rhythms. These 'bad vibes' are particularly dangerous for people with atherosclerosis or other heart problems, and could precipitate a fatal heart attack.
link to PNAS abstract (subscription required for the whole article).
link to Guardian article.

- Mr. Ed