中英文閲讀心碎而死恐怕不是傳言

Heartbeats Reveal Heartbreak

That old saying, "she died of a broken heart?" It's not just poetry. Studies have shown that some people who lose a loved one may be at greater risk for a heart attack or cardiac death. And new research, presented this week at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions, offers clues for why. [Thomas Buckley et al., "Early Bereavement is Associated with Increased Heart Rate and Reduced Heart Rate Variability"]

常聽説：某某心碎而亡。這可不僅僅是為了增添詩意，研究發現，失去摯愛的人更容易心臟病發作或猝死。美國心臟協會科學年會上發佈的一項新的研究中闡明瞭原因。

The subjects in the study included 78 volunteers who'd recently lost a spouse or child at a hospital, and a control group whose relatives survived the hospital stay. The average age of both groups was about 65. Researchers monitored the participants’ heart rates and rhythms for 24 hours, once within two weeks of the family death and again six months later.

研究對象包括一組由78名剛剛失去配偶或孩子的羣眾組成的實驗組，以及由親人有幸渡過難關的羣眾組成的對照組。兩組研究對象的平均年齡均在65歲左右。在實驗組成員失去家人的兩星期之內以及6個月之後，研究人員對兩組成員的心跳頻率和節奏各進行了一次24小時的'監控。

Soon after their loss the bereaved had an average heart rate of 75 beats per minute, five beats more than the controls. And twice as many episodes of tachycardia: rapid heartbeats. They also scored higher on depression and anxiety tests, as you'd expect, which could be behind the physiological changes.

剛經歷喪偶或喪子之痛的實驗組成員心率為75次/分，比對照組成員高出5次/分；心動過速發作次數也是對照組的兩倍；在抑鬱焦慮症測試中得分也較高（分數越高，症狀越嚴重）。可想而知，這一系列的生理變化意味着什麼。

The good news: after six months, heart rates and rhythms were back to normal. But if you've just lost someone and feel physical heartache, the researchers recommend seeing a doctor. It could save someone else from grieving.

好在六個月之後，實驗組成員的心跳頻率和節奏就恢復正常了。但假如你剛失去摯愛又覺得心痛難耐的話，最好還是去看看醫生吧，別再讓你的家人為你傷心欲絕了。