Scientists a step closer to understanding why you can die of a broken heart

Symptoms of broken heart syndrome often mimic a heart attack and include chest pain and shortness of breath

Broken heart syndrome often follows an intense event, such as the death of a loved one, a life-threatening medical diagnosis, losing a lot of money, redundancy or a relationship breakdown. Picture: iStock

Scientists have made progress in piecing together why some people may die of a broken heart.

Suffering longer-term stress and then experiencing a stressful event – such as the loss of a loved one – could trigger a condition known as takotsubo syndrome, also known as broken heart syndrome.