Broken Heart? Your Vagus Nerve May Be The Culprit
Heartbreak literally broken? Maybe your vagus nerve is ghosting you. Scientists snipped cardiac nerves in mice, mimicking a bad breakup. Their hearts aged faster! Fibrosis spiked, ejection fraction tanked. Ouch. Think clogged highways and grumpy heart cells. The vagus nerve, it seems, whispers sweet nothings (acetylcholine!) that chill out angry inflammatory molecules. No vagus? Inflammation party! But here's the plot twist: electrical zaps jumpstarted those nerves. Fibrosis? Reversed! Like a love song rewinding time. So, boost that vagal tone! Meditate, breathe deep, maybe sing to your heart. A happy vagus = a youthful ticker. Who knew?