The day after actress and writer Carrie Fisher died suddenly of a heart attack, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, passed away. Reynolds’ son said the death of Fisher was just too much for his mother to bear, and she died of a broken heart.

Broken heart syndrome — also called stress cardiomyopathy — is a real medical condition in which extreme emotional stress and sadness can cause sudden and severe heart muscle weakness. This occurs because adrenaline and other hormones temporarily stun heart cells.

A new study by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic suggests that broken heart syndrome has become more prevalent in recent months due to the pandemic.

The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, involved 258 patients who came into the clinic system between March 1 and April 30 presenting with acute coronary symptoms.

This group of was compared to several pre-pandemic control groups. The percentage of people diagnosed with stress cardiomyopathy in the pandemic-affected group was 7.8%, compared with around 1.7% of the pre-pandemic patients.

There's a lot of heartbreak going on right now, including illness and death of loved ones, unemployment and financial losses, and the increasing complications of daily life. If you have symptoms of broken heart syndrome — such as chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, heart palpitation, and low blood pressure — seek medical help right away.

Don't let fear of COVID-19 keep you from getting lifesaving care. With prompt intervention and medication, the vast majority of people can recover from stress cardiomyopathy within a few weeks.