A Bridgeport doctor says it's possible that Debbie Reynolds may have died from a broken heart while planning her daughter's funeral.

Bridgeport Hospital chief cardiologist Stuart Zarich says broken heart syndrome is real and associated with severe emotional stress, typically affecting women more than men. He says one study showed a 20-fold increase of a heart attack if you've recently lost a loved one.

"They develop what looks like a classic heart attack with chest pain, abnormal EKG and a dramatically weakened heart muscle," says Dr. Zarich. 

He says most patients can survive broken heart syndrome, but some can die because of a life-threatening arrhythmia. Dr. Zarich says most of those people may already have an underlying heart disease.