Can You Really Die From A Broken Heart? Debbie Reynolds Dies Day After Daughter Carrie Fisher

Screen icon Debbie Reynolds died Wednesday night at the age of 84 just one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher passed away from a heart attack. Reynolds was taken to a Los Angeles hospital after she had a stroke.

Just hours before her death, Reynolds reportedly told her son that she "missed Carrie" and wanted to be with her daughter. While reports suggest that the cause of death was a stroke, Reynolds’ son, Todd Fisher, has not yet revealed the exact cause of death. Some reports claim that Reynolds, who rose to stardom with "Singin' in the Rain" at the age of only 19, had trouble breathing while planning Carrie’s funeral with Todd.

"She went to be with Carrie. In fact, those were the last words that she spoke this morning," Todd told E! News. "More specifically, she said that she really, she was under a lot of stress."

Todd continued: "She held it together beautifully, obviously, for the last couple of days but she was under a lot of emotion and stress from the loss [of Carrie] and it's pretty much what triggered this event."

So, is it possible that someone can die of a broken heart?

Broken heart syndrome, also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a temporary heart condition that is often brought on by stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one. The American Heart Association says that broken heart syndrome is real, and is caused by extreme stress and a surge in hormones as a result that puts stress on the heart. Broken heart syndrome is often preceded by an intense physical or emotional event.

“Women are more likely than men to experience the sudden, intense chest pain — the reaction to a surge of stress hormones — that can be caused by an emotionally stressful event. It could be the death of a loved one or even a divorce, breakup or physical separation, betrayal or romantic rejection,” according to the association.