That old saying, "she died of a broken heart?" It's not just poetry. Studies have shown that some people who lose a loved one may ___1___ a heart attack or cardiac death. And new research, presented this week at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions, ___2___ for why. [Thomas Buckley et al., "Early Bereavement is Associated with Increased Heart Rate and Reduced Heart Rate Variability"]
The subjects in the study included 78 volunteers who'd recently lost a spouse or child at a hospital, and a control group whose relatives survived the hospital stay. The average age of both groups was about 65. Researchers ___3___ the participants’ heart rates and rhythms for 24 hours, once within two weeks of the family death and again six months later.
Soon after their loss ___4___ had an average heart rate of 75 beats per minute, five beats more than the controls. And twice as many episodes of tachycardia: rapid heartbeats. They also scored higher on depression and anxiety tests, as you'd expect, which could be behind the physiological changes.
The good news: after six months, heart rates and rhythms were back to normal. But if you've just lost someone and feel physical heartache, the researchers recommend seeing a doctor. It could save someone else from ___5___.
【视听版科学小组荣誉出品】
be at greater risk for offers clues monitored the bereaved grieving
常听说：某某心碎而亡。这可不仅仅是为了增添诗意，研究发现，失去挚爱的人更容易心脏病发作或猝死。美国心脏协会科学年会上发布的一项新的研究中阐明了原因。 研究对象包括一组由78名刚刚失去配偶或孩子的群众组成的实验组，以及由亲人有幸渡过难关的群众组成的对照组。两组研究对象的平均年龄均在65岁左右。在实验组成员失去家人的两星期之内以及6个月之后，研究人员对两组成员的心跳频率和节奏各进行了一次24小时的监控。 刚经历丧偶或丧子之痛的实验组成员心率为75次/分，比对照组成员高出5次/分；心动过速发作次数也是对照组的两倍；在抑郁焦虑症测试中得分也较高（分数越高，症状越严重）。可想而知，这一系列的生理变化意味着什么。好在六个月之后，实验组成员的心跳频率和节奏就恢复正常了。但假如你刚失去挚爱又觉得心痛难耐的话，最好还是去看看医生吧，别再让你的家人为你伤心欲绝了。