Takotsubo syndrome, or “broken heart syndrome,” is a temporary heart condition triggered by extreme emotional or physical stress. 

It has been romanticized in fiction, with characters like Padmé Amidala and King Lear seemingly dying of heartbreak.

First documented in the 1960s, takotsubo syndrome primarily affects postmenopausal women and is characterized by the ballooning of the left ventricle.

Guest: Bethany Brookshire - Science Writer and Host on the Podcast “Science for the People”

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