Debbie Reynolds may have died of a broken heart

Dying of a broken heart may seem cliché, but according to top cardiologists, the theory is medically relevant.

Emotionally stressful events can trigger a surge in stress hormones that are felt to "stun" the heart and prevent it from pumping properly, according to Harmony Reynolds, MD, of the NYU Medical Center.

Reynolds has studied the under-recognized condition, which occurs mainly in older women. She attributes the condition to a link between the heart and brain that is not yet fully understood.

While it is still unclear what caused the death of Debbie Reynolds, emotionally stressful events like the death of a child can trigger a surge in stress hormones that can shock the heart and prevent it from pumping properly or cause an artery supplying the heart to go into spasm.