Can Good News Kill You?

Marriage proposals, lottery wins, surprise holidays and sporting triumphs…

According to the latest research from the University Hospital in Zurich, the shock of good news can traumatise the heart in the same way that cardiovascular attacks trigger a sudden complete blockage of an artery. Alarmingly, this gives a whole new meaning to the popular phrase, “I nearly died laughing.”

Studying a group of patients with takotsubo syndrome, Jelena Ghadri and her team found that extreme happiness can a spark life-threatening heart abnormalities, with symptoms that mimic those of a heart attack.

A new perspective on a Japanese discovery

First discovered in 1990 by Japanese scientists, takotsubo syndrome is a form of stress-induced cardiomyopathy, also known as transient apical ballooning syndrome. Similar to a heart attack, takotsubo syndrome partially paralyses the base of the left ventricle, causing it to balloon. As this is the heart chamber that pumps blood around the body, the process can trigger pain and breathlessness – the same symptoms of blocked arteries. While most hearts recover naturally within several months, up to 5% of sufferers can die.

Originally, cases were associated with physical or emotional stress, bought on by negative experiences such as deaths, break ups or redundancies. However now, scientists are maintaining that ‘broken-heart syndrome’ could be just as prevalent in cases of good news.

“It was a complete surprise to us,” comments Ghadri.

New research shows that happiness can kill

In 2011 Ghadri co-founded a takotsubo syndrome registry with the hope of gaining new insight into the condition. In the study Ghadri and her team found that of the 1750 investigated cases, 20 were bought on by ‘happy’ events such as birthdays, reunions, weddings, sporting accomplishments and lottery wins.  

“We were not aware of this, as the condition is usually known as ‘broken-heart syndrome’ because of its association with negative events,” she says.

As a result, Ghadri warns that “People should be aware that even positive emotions can cause acute cardiac events. If people feel chest pain or breathlessness, they should go to the doctor to get it checked out,” she says. “Likewise, physicians should take these cases seriously in the emergency department as it’s a life-threatening disease.”

There is continuous research within the modern medical sphere, with new revelations coming to light every day. For more insight into the latest advancements from the Maastricht University and spin-off company Synapse, ‘Speeding up Research into Clotting and Bleeding’ is a must read article. Exploring the complicated and critical blood coagulation process, it spotlights the fundamental research and practical detection methods currently being developed for thrombosis and bleeding.