We're all aware of the psychological pain of a broken heart - countless books, songs and films have been written and made on the subject - but there's also scientific evidence that a broken heart can also be fatal.
The medical term is takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC), a weakening of the heart caused by physical or emotional stress. A new study by researchers at the University of Arizona looked at data from 199,890 patients in the U.S. between 2016 and 2020.
Although the condition was more common in women, deaths were more than twice as likely in men.
Researchers have put forward a hypothesis for the gap between men and women. It is believed that TC is caused by an increase in stress hormones, caused by physical or emotional stress - so a physical stressor might be surgery or an infection, while an emotional stressor might be a divorce or the death of a loved one. Physical stress is more common in men, which may explain the higher number of deaths caused by the condition. Researchers also think that differences in hormonal balance between the sexes may play a role.
Broken heart syndrome is related to the heart muscle malfunctioning after a stressful, traumatic event. It all starts with sudden, severe chest pain when increased stress hormones interfere with the pumping of blood to a part of the heart.
Stress hormones increase during traumatic events such as the death of a loved one, a breakup, or physical injury, or even during positive events such as winning the lottery or a surprise party. Individuals with broken heart syndrome begin to notice symptoms within minutes to hours after the stressful event.
Broken heart syndrome is often misdiagnosed as a heart attack, because the symptoms are similar.
In addition to chest pain and breathing problems, patients with broken heart syndrome also experience changes in heart rhythm similar to those of a heart attack. But when they undergo an analysis that determines which arteries are blocked in the case of a heart attack, no blocked blood vessels are found. Instead, a significant part of their heart is not working properly.
Most people recover on their own within a few weeks, but if you have heart problems, low blood pressure, or heart rhythm abnormalities, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor.
