Can shocking news trigger a heart attack? A cardiologist explains

Sudden bad news can set off the body's fight-or-flight response, releasing a surge of adrenaline that raises heart rate, blood pressure and the heart's oxygen demand, explains Dr Aseem Dhall of ISIC hospital. In people with existing heart disease, this stress can disrupt plaque in the arteries and promote clot formation, raising the risk of a heart attack.