In rare cases, intense joy, not just grief, can temporarily weaken the heart.
(Image credit: Jana Murr via Getty Images)
The patient: A 65-year-old woman in Qatar
The symptoms: The woman had been dealing with unexplained chest pain for several months, although earlier tests of her heart health had come back normal. She had stopped attending follow-up appointments regarding the chest pain.
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Live Science Staff Writer
Olivia Maule is a science journalist whose beats include space, biotechnology and the environment. She holds a B.A. in biology and a B.S. in anthropology from the University of Florida and completed a master's degree in science communication at U.C. Santa Cruz. A 2025 AAAS Mass Media Fellow, she wrote stories and produced videos during a summer at El Nuevo Día, Puerto Rico's largest newspaper, and has written for Eos, Mongabay, Science magazine and Stanford Report. Olivia is a native Spanish and English speaker.
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