Robbie Wagoner

Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1103-048
31 March 2016
Annotated Bibliography 6
Evans, Stephen. "Can You Die from a Broken Heart? - BBC News." BBC News. BBC,
14 Aug. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28756374>.

Summary:
Can you die from a broken heart?, is a magazine article published on August 14, 2014,
retrieved from BBC and authored by Stephen Evans. While some may consider BBC to be a
biased network, I believe that the information it presents is credible and the findings of
individuals are well enough for me to include in my research assignment. Stephen Evans has
been a journalist for BBC since 1983 where he has covered countless stories about a wide variety
of events. During his time as a reporter, many have come to believe that Stephen Evans does not
include fluff in his reports, they believe that his stories are factual and highly credible. In
regards to this specific article, I believe that Stephen Evans story is very useful for my
assignment and the findings that I have included within it.

The article begins by telling a story of a man and woman who had been married for sixty
years that had died within a week of each other. The woman, Margaret, passed on first and then
within a week later, due to grief, her husband, Edmund, passed as well. Another story was given
about a couple who died within hours of one another. Marjorie had been admitted into the
hospital due to a broken leg, and while waiting for her to be discharged her husband, Clifford,
passed on. After hearing this terrible news, Marjorie, passed on a few hours later on the couples
seventy-sixth wedding anniversary. The article continues with multiple stories, such as before, of
couples that had been together for decades and died within hours of one another. Thus proving
that you cannot literally live without a certain someone in your life.
Research was soon discovered in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine that the amount of
individuals who had a heart attack or a stroke in the month following the passing of a loved-one
was twice twice the amount of a matched control group who were not grieving. Dr Sunil Shah of
St George's at the University, who was one of the conductors of the research, told BBC, We
often use the term a 'broken heart' to signify the pain of losing a loved-one and our study shows
that bereavement can have. Many individuals have spoke of broken heart syndrome, or stress
cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which are the more formal names. Based on the
British Heart Foundation, it is defined as a temporary condition where your heart muscle
becomes suddenly weakened or stunned. The left ventricle, one of the heart's chambers, changes
shape." Another piece of information that has come to surprise by many is, "About three quarters
of people diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy have experienced significant emotional or
physical stress prior to becoming unwell," the charity says. people. It's assumed that the sudden
release of hormones (mainly adrenaline) is the main cause to the stunning of the heart muscle.

The article explains that many individuals who experience cardiomyopathy have normal
coronary arteries and do not have abnormal clots or blockages in their bloodstreams. Many
recover from the cardiomyopathy and their hearts return to their normal shapes. However many
elderly individuals are not capable of completely recuperating and have fatal results. According
to research in the New England Journal of Medicine, there has been evidence found that there is
an increased chance of a risk of death following the hospitalisation of a partner. Further research
proposed that the chances of the surviving partner passing are increased for six months following
their partner's passing.

Quotes:
Some people talk about "broken heart syndrome", known more formally as stress
cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy. According to the British Heart
Foundation, it is a "temporary condition where your heart muscle becomes suddenly
weakened or stunned.
It can be brought on by a shock. "About three quarters of people diagnosed with
takotsubo cardiomyopathy have experienced significant emotional or physical stress prior
to becoming unwell.

The scientific name, takotsubo cardiomyopathy comes from the Japanese word
for a type of round-bottomed, narrow-necked vessel used for catching octopuses. The
sudden stress causes the left ventricle of the heart - the one that does the pumping - to
balloon out into the shape of the pot.

Analysis:
This article provided many examples of couples in long term relationships that literally
were not capable of living without one another. Based on the disorder, cardiomyopathy, proves
that love can affect all parts of the body. It can cause health problems to a person who has lost
the love of their life. A person with a broken heart could lead to a heart attack or stroke due to the
terrible health problems losing a loved one can cause. The article shows how a broken heart
affects your actual heart, not just your emotional heart. While the article mainly focused on the
heart it still showed how love, being a psychological state in the brain, affects the body as a
whole. I believe that this information will be of great use in my research assignment because it
will further my point that different stages of love affect the brain both mentally and physically.