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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

A Valentine's Day Warning About the Heart

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Wednesday, February 14, 2018   

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - As many celebrate Valentine's Day, some people are head-over-heels in love while others experience heartache. That leads to the question: Can you die of a broken heart?

According to some experts, the answer is "yes." Broken heart syndrome, or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, can even be fatal, said Dr. Don Bucklin, regional medical director for Concentra, a company that runs medical centers and wellness programs. He said it happens when the heart gets a shock from extreme stress or sadness and doesn't beat very well. Symptoms mimic a heart attack, Bucklin said, and include chest pain, shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat.

"Your heart is overwhelmed by all those stress hormones, all that cortisone and adrenaline, and everything pumping through you when you're angry and sad," he said. "Your heart takes a beating for it - and sometimes, it tries to just take a break."

He said broken heart syndrome can strike anyone, but mostly affects women age 55 and older, often after a major physical strain such as surgery or mental hardship such as the death of a loved one. It also can be triggered by other major life events - from job loss or divorce to accidents and natural disasters.

If you're experiencing what you believe are heart attack symptoms, Bucklin said, call 911 and get emergency treatment. Doctors can perform tests to determine whether it's a heart attack or a bout of broken heart syndrome.

"While it looks like a heart attack, it's not, and it's 100 percent reversible," he said. "So, if you're having chest pain, and short of breath and that kind of thing, and you've had a recent big trauma in your life, you probably need to get into the emergency room pronto."

Treatment of broken heart syndrome may include heart medications, such as ACE inhibitors, beta blockers or diuretics, plus longer-term stress management. According to the National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease, most patients make a full recovery within one to two months.

More information is online at womenheart.org and ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.


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