Your heart can be damaged after a sad event and it may be your brain's doing, experts believe.
Swiss researchers have been studying people with a rare and unusual condition called broken heart syndrome.
This weakening and failing of the heart happens suddenly, often after a stressful or emotional event such as bereavement.
It is little understood but the work in the European Heart Journal suggests the mind's response to stress plays a part.
Also known as takotsubo syndrome - referring to the shape of the heart in people with this condition, which resembles a Japanese pot with the same name - broken heart syndrome can be brought on by shock.
It's different to a heart attack caused by blocked blood vessels, but has similar symptoms, including breathlessness and chest pain.
Often, an unhappy event is the trigger, but exciting big events, such as a wedding or new job, have been linked with it too.
