It may be too soon to know exactly what triggered Debbie Reynolds’ stroke, but the timing, just a day after her daughter Carrie Fisher passed, has many asking if she died of a broken heart.
According to medical research, it’s possible. It’s called “Broken Heart Syndrome,” University Hospitals’ cardiologist Dina Sparano said.
“This sudden surge of the stress hormone, or catecholamines, that then surges throughout the body can be directly toxic to the heart muscle and overload the heart,” she said, “And render it, usually temporarily, extremely weak.”
Symptoms are similar to that of a heart attack, Dr. Sparano said, including chest pains and shortness of breath. She said the prognosis is usually “excellent,” but old age and underlying health issues can be complicating factors.
It’s also most common in women over 50.
Christin Swingle told News 5 she believes something similar happened to her grandparents, who passed within a year of each other.
“When you have that strong of a connection with somebody, and you spend so much of your time and so much of your life and energy dedicated to that person,” Swingle said, “And that energy is lost, it’s a very real and very palpable thing.”
