A woman's heart breaks more easily than a man's. Females are seven to nine times more likely to suffer "broken heart syndrome," when sudden or prolonged stress like an emotional breakup or death causes overwhelming heart failure or heart attack-like symptoms, the first nationwide study of this finds. Usually patients recover with no lasting damage…No one knows why, said Dr. Abhiram Prasad, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist who presented other research on this syndrome at the conference. "It's the only cardiac condition where there's such a female preponderance," he said.

AP, Marilynn Marchione, 11/17/11

Additional coverage: Atlanta Journal Constitution, ABC News,  Huffington Post, CTV Toronto, Calgary Herald, Pulso Online (Mexico), Periodico a.m. (Mexico)

Tags: Cardiology, Women's Health