CNN 2010-03-21

WHITFIELD: So if you've watched your fortunes rise and fall on Wall Street, this may be only mildly shocking to you. Those big plunges¹ in your portfolio² can also take quite a toll³ on your health.

CNN chief medical correspondent⁴ Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining us now with the results of this new study.

No surprise here because a lot of times when your, you know, pocketbook gets hit, it hurts in the heart.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It does. And you know, I think anecdotally we've known for some time that people who are stressed out or get angry about something can have problems with their heart. But there's been a lot more evidence that in fact that's true. Your blood pressure will go up, your heart rate. But the study was fascinating because they were looking at a period of time when the stock market was taking a lot of plunges. Instead of looking at individuals, they were sort of looking more globally at society, and found exactly what you said.

The number of people coming in with chest pain. The number of people having heart attacks. The number of people needing procedures all seemed to go up as the stock market went down. And they extrapolated to the same can be said of, you know, a hurricane or some sort of natural disaster occurring as wells.

WHITFIELD: You get stressed out.

GUPTA: You get stressed out. And they also know that, you know, when that happens, you release all this adrenaline. You can feel that sometimes. But that can cause electrical changes in your heart, it can cause inflammation to build up. It can also cause something known as broken-heart syndrome⁵ where your heart sort of gets stunned⁶ for a period of time.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

GUPTA: It won't show up on any tests. You'll feel like you're having a heart attack but you go to the hospital and they'll say everything is fine but in fact you've had a little stunning⁷ of the heart they call it.

WHITFIELD: So what can you do? I mean a lot of time you can't really control what your portfolio is going to do.

GUPTA: Can't control the market?

WHITFIELD: Right. You can't control the market. So then what?

GUPTA: You know --

WHITFIELD: How do you manage this?

GUPTA: Yes. You know, it's interesting because, you know, I've traveled all over the world looking at some of the longest-lived societies around the world. And they'll say the same thing. We have stress as well. It's not that we live a stress-free life. We have the same concerns you do.

But it is about management of stress. And if you look at some of those societies, there are some simple things that people do. You know, pray and meditate⁸ for about 15 minutes a day, for example.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GUPTA: I do that by the way now, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's right.

GUPTA: I never thought I'd meditate for 15 minutes a day. But I do that. And it really does make time.

WHITFIELD: I really believe -- I tried it. I like it, too.

GUPTA: Yes. Make time for happy hour. Even on St. Patrick's Day. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to drink but you know, taking some time for yourself. Obviously that makes a difference. Sex seems to make a difference. Simply laughing. There's this group of people that engage in what's called laughter yoga.

WHITFIELD: I remember that.

GUPTA: They laugh and just simply forcing themselves to laugh seems to decrease stress levels.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GUPTA: Increase happiness.

WHITFIELD: I could get into that, but I mean, you know. I mean laughing, you know, folks always say, I needed a good laugh.

GUPTA: That's right. And --

WHITFIELD: Because it makes you feel good. It's great relief.

GUPTA: Just doing it sometimes, the act of it. And could it possibly help your heart as well?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GUPTA: Could be.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much.

 
 

1 plunges   

n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• Even before he plunges into his program, he has his audience in his pocket. 他的节目甚至还没有出场，就已控制住了观众。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• 'Monseigneur, he precipitated himself over the hill-side, head first, as a person plunges into the river.' “大人，他头冲下跳下山坡去了，像往河里跳一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

2 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

3 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

4 correspondent   

n.记者，通信者；adj.符合的，一致的，相当的

参考例句：

• He volunteered as a correspondent for the war.他自愿担任作报道这次战争的记者。
• The result was correspondent with my wishes.结果与我的愿望是一致的。

5 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

6 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

7 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

8 meditate   

v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想

参考例句：

• It is important to meditate on the meaning of life.思考人生的意义很重要。
• I was meditating,and reached a higher state of consciousness.我在冥想，并进入了一个更高的意识境界。