The Heart Beat

A new book, called “The Heart Speaks,” and authored by practicing cardiologist Mimi Guarneri, MD, confirms my belief that we can develop heart disease, and literally die, from a broken heart.

This week the book is profiled at Web MD in an article titled “The Heart Speaks (Are You Listening?). The author shares her personal story of losing her mom to a heart attack when she was eight years old; her mother was 40. She writes, “My father’s subsequent death from heart disease at 50, almost a decade later, was surely hastened by this tragedy in our family. Heart disease, with its layers of grief and guilt, stress and love, had blasted a hole through the center of my own family.”

Dr. Guarneri’s book explores the relatively new area of psychoneuroimmunology, or PNI, which is the exploration of the relationship between our emotions, nervous systems, and our immunity.

Science has been aware for many years of the “mind-body” connection. We see this when measure the heart rate and blood pressure response of subjects who are exposed to a situation that triggers such strong emotions as anger or sorrow. We have also studied individual’s ability to control these same physical measures using meditation and biofeedback.

The author’s research discusses the new technology that allows researchers to watch the interaction between the mind and heart in real time, called functional MRI. This view into the mind-body connection should give us information about our “whole” heart, meaning all of the things that affect its health. As this information expands those of us in medicine who have believed for years that people can die of a broken heart and that post-traumatic stress disorder can cause coronary artery disease will, I believe, be proven to be correct.

For now, I’d suggest we all pay a little more attention to the stress in our daily lives. Slow down, hear the birds and the spring peepers, and find it in your whole heart to forgive yourself and those you love of their transgressions. Be peaceful.

Laurie

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
Mahatma Gandhi

Related Topics: Coffee May Up Heart Risks For Some, WebMD Video: How Microbubbles Can Help the Heart

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