2022-05-16

当一个人感到伤心时，通常会说"我的心都碎了"。虽然这只是一种比喻，人的心脏并不会因为悲伤的情绪碎裂成片，但是却可能出现“心碎综合征”。

心碎综合征是指人在经历重大外部事件打击时，会产生极其哀伤、悲痛或愤怒的心理，同时出现了类似于心脏疾病的症状，比如会有胸痛、憋气、呼吸急促等症状表现。

The syndrome1, formally known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is characterized by weakening of the heart's main pumping chamber2 and was first identified in 1990 in Japan. It looks and sounds like a heart attack and is consequently often confused for one.

心碎综合征学名为takotsubo心肌病，最早于1990年在日本被发现，其特征是心脏的主泵区功能减弱。症状与心脏病相似，因此经常被混淆。

Affecting an estimated 2,500 people in the UK each year, the syndrome also carries a risk of complications similar to that of an actual heart attack. It is unclear what causes takotsubo, but sharp spikes3 in adrenaline caused by acute stress like bereavement4, car accidents, earthquakes and even happy events such as weddings are understood to drive loss of movement in part of the heart wall, which then precipitates5 the acute heart failure.