Cat’s Chat: The reality of a broken heart

cat's chat

By Cathi Coppinger

You’ve heard of the term “broken heart”, well, turns out it is a real thing.  If something terrible happens, your heart can actually swell up, which can cause chest pains or even a fatal HEART ATTACK.  It’s called Takotsubo syndrome, or TTS. A new study found it’s not just bad news that can literally break your heart.  GOOD news can do it too. Researchers in Switzerland examined 1,750 people who suffered from TTS, and found 4% of them had it happen in an extremely happy situation.  That included surprise parties, weddings, their team winning a championship, or their grandchild being born. The researchers say it shows TTS is more connected to the surge of adrenaline that comes from extreme emotions . . . not just bad ones. By the way, 95% of the people who suffer from it are women.  And the average age when it happens is between 65 and 71. No worries for me, I resolve right now to never be happy after the age of 65!