San Francisco-based health IT vendor Practice Fusion examined more than 2.8 million de-identified electronic patient records from January 2011 to January 2012 to determine which states have the highest rates of "lovesickness," the Idaho Statesman reports (Barney, Idaho Statesman, 2/14).
For the study, Practice Fusion researchers looked for symptoms identified in a 2005 article in the British journal The Psychologist as being associated with falling in love. Such symptoms include:
- Insomnia or lack of sleep;
- Increased anxiety;
- Obsession;
- Hysteria;
- Mania;
- High blood pressure;
- Increased stress levels;
- Stomach "butterflies";
- Euphoria;
- Sweating; and
- Heart Palpitations.
Breakdown by State
According to Practice Fusion's "Love Index," the top five lovesick states are:
- Vermont;
- Hawaii;
- Idaho;
- New Hampshire; and
- New Mexico
The bottom five lovesick states are: