Harvard and Mass General scientists have been studying heart-brain connections for years, illuminating one of the most extreme — and potentially deadly — expressions of love: broken heart syndrome.
The classic case is when the death of a spouse or child triggers a heart attack in the partner or parent. But recent research indicates that, though broken heart syndrome often strikes after a sudden stressor, its physiological preconditions aren’t sudden at all. In fact, they occur months, even years, before the event. And the crucial factor is stress, not love.
