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With February 14th fast approaching, I thought it necessary to pose the question - should love come with a government health warning?!
Maybe according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
In a study of 19 cases of what they called "broken heart syndrome" between 1999 and 2003, the researchers demonstrated a link between intense emotional stress and cardiac failure in otherwise healthy individuals.
The study dealt with 18 women and one man sent to hospital coronary care units in Baltimore after experiencing chest pains.
For all, the pains came on after sudden emotional stress from things like a death in the family, a surprise birthday party, a car accident, and a biopsy.
None of the 19 had heart disease, and though the median age was 63, the group included two people of ages 27 and 32, respectively.
Without treatment, some of the subjects would have likely died. But all recovered, and none experienced recurrences of the problems, the report said.
The study provided evidence for the existence of stress cardiomyopathy, nicknamed broken heart syndrome by the researchers.
The symptoms resemble a heart attack, which usually involves a blood clot cutting off circulation in the heart.
In broken heart syndrome, the heart simply weakens, making it temporarily less able to pump blood.
"How exactly it occurs is not clear, but the patients had unusually high levels of stress-related brain chemicals and hormones like adrenaline, which may have temporarily impaired their heart function," lead researcher Dr Wittstein said.
One of the continuing mysteries, Wittsein said, was why nearly all of the victims were female.
Interesting?
I couldnt but reflect on the wisdom of Kahlil Gibran's beautiful quote; "Love is like an oak tree and a cyprus tree that grows not in each others shadow" - the blueprint for a healthy relationship. Using poetic license, I would add "but meets at the top" to the quote highlighting the need for spiritual connection.
Based on my own life experiences, I have found that attachment to anything is a very stressful strategy.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at
February 11, 2005 09:22 AM