Can you be scared to death?
Dave Anderson, Lafayette, IN

“Yes, you can be scared to death,” says Dr. Ilan S. Wittstein, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Here’ s how: A typical response to fear is the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream. This forces the body to burn glucose for immediate energy and dilates blood vessels in your muscles, allowing for more blood and oxygen to flow. You’re now primed to brawl…or run away like a Cub Scout from a NAMBLA convention. But besides boosting your brawn, that adrenaline surge can have long-term consequences. “Our bodies go through some degree of this process every day,” says Wittstein. “Over a lifetime this can lead to high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, making it more likely that you could die from fright.”

When your girlfriend presents tickets to Sex and the City 2, the scare can screw up the electrical impulses to a frail heart, throwing off its timing and sending you into fibrillation. Acute stress may lead to “broken heart syndrome,” or, as we like to call it, “Jennifer Aniston disease” (rowr!). This is a sudden weakening of the myocardium (heart muscle) and can lead to total heart failure in the event of a severe emotional reaction. Nice knowing you, Dave!