Dr. Randy Martin: We have all heard of having a broken heart, but could severe emotional stress actually send you to the emergency room? I met with cardiologist Dr. Kenneth Taylor to learn more about “broken heart syndrome.”
According to Kenneth Taylor, M.D., chief of the Advanced Heart Failure Center at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, people with broken heart syndrome see their doctor for chest pains, believing that they might be having a heart attack. But these patients’ chest pains are NOT caused by clogged arteries – they are the result of severe emotional stress, leading to stress cardiomyopathy.
Takosubo Cardiomyopathy
Broken heart syndrome was originally known as takosubo cardiomyopathy, as described by the Japanese in the early 1990s when they first started seeing patients with these symptoms. “Patients came in with symptoms similar to a heart attack, but did not have the typical blocked arteries that we see with a heart attack,” says Dr. Taylor. “However, their hearts did ‘balloon’ out and look like a big round ball, which was reminiscent of something the Japanese used to catch octopi, which is takosubo, or ‘octopus pot.’”
Dr. Taylor says that broken heart syndrome is more common than most people realize. “It is a syndrome that is seen mostly in post-menopausal women, or women ages 60 and older, who often have some sort of stressful event in their life, whether it’s an emotional or physical stressor,” he says.
Causes of Broken Heart Syndrome
“There is a lot of debate about what actually causes this symptom and we still don’t really know what causes it. Most people believe it is a ‘stunning’ of the heart from too much adrenaline,” says Dr. Taylor.
In an innovative study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that 71 percent of the study’s participants had experienced an emotional or physical stressor just 48 hours earlier. However, the study’s authors noted that it is possible to experience this condition in the absence of a stressful event.
“What researchers found was consistent with what we have seen in previous literature with the distribution of the types of patients who are having this syndrome, the fact that there is not any heart muscle damage, and the fact that the majority of patients get better with very few having bad outcomes,” he says.
The bottom line according to Dr. Taylor? “If you have symptoms of a heart attack, you need to come to the hospital immediately. If you are diagnosed with broken heart syndrome, then you have a very favorable prognosis.”
Dr. Randy Martin: I’ve seen broken heart syndrome in people who have been victims of a robbery attempt or even a surprise birthday party. Studies have shown that stress can cause chest pains, but the most important thing to remember is that if you ever have chest pains, you need to go to the hospital to rule out a more serious condition, like a heart attack.
Broken heart syndrome symptoms and triggers:
- Symptoms: Chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness and an irregular heartbeat.
- Potential triggers: Abuse, death of a loved one, an upsetting medical diagnosis, financial difficulty, a surprise party, public speaking, a car accident, major surgery or an asthma attack.
