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What is Broken Heart Syndrome?

Erin J. Hill
Erin J. Hill

Broken heart syndrome is a condition which mimics a massive heart attack and one which comes as a result of extreme stress. The death of a loved one or other traumatic event typically sets off the events which lead to broken heart syndrome. It is generally caused by a prolonged spike in adrenaline, the hormone the human body releases during times of extreme stress of perceived danger. This can eventually "stun" the heart, causing symptoms and bodily reactions similar to those which present themselves during an actual heart attack. The main difference between this condition and cardiac arrest are that the symptoms of broken heart syndrome are entirely reversible and do not cause permanent damage.

In many cases broken heart syndrome, which goes by the clinical name of stress cardiomyopathy, is easily mistaken for a heart attack by physicians and other caregivers. Symptoms are typically similar or identical and can include shortness of breath, chest pain, fluid in the lungs, and heart failure. There are many distinct differences, however, which may only become apparent upon closer examination of the patient. Before this is done, stress cardiomyopathy may be treated as a heart attack in order to return the heart to normal rhythms and stabilize the patient.

Broken heart syndrome is often mistaken for a heart attack.
Broken heart syndrome is often mistaken for a heart attack.

Tests which may confirm a diagnosis of broken heart syndrome include an inspection of the heart muscle and the surrounding tissues and arteries. Unlike heart attack victims, those who are suffering from stress cardiomyopathy are typically healthy with no blockages in the arteries or veins and no noticeable disfigurement of the heart muscle itself. Other tests include taking blood samples to check for a lack of enzymes typically released during a heart attack, and magnetic resonance imaging scans which reveal that no muscle damage has occurred as it would with a heart attack. This, combined with a patient background confirming the presence of a traumatic event, can lead to a firm diagnosis.

Broken heart syndrome can have many of the same symptoms of a heart attack, but does not cause permanent damage.
Broken heart syndrome can have many of the same symptoms of a heart attack, but does not cause permanent damage.

Fortunately, those who have suffered from broken heart syndrome are almost always able to fully recover with no long-term damage to the heart. Medications may be given to reduce symptoms of stress, and therapy is often offered. This can reduce the patient's production and reaction to stress hormones, thus reducing the risk of repeated episodes.

Stress cardiomyopathy does not cause the same contraction patterns as a heart attack, and should not be confused with a stress-induced heart attack. The effects stress has on the heart and which patients are more at risk for broken heart syndrome remain widely unknown, although it appears as if elderly and middle aged women are the most common victims. Research is being conducted to discover if there is a genetic predisposition to cardiomyopathy, which is one explanation for why some people become afflicted and others do not.

Discussion Comments

Drentel

When I was going through Alzheimer's with my parents and my business was in trouble, I was under stress for several years. The stress became my norm, so when I was overcome by chest pains while in my office one day I was taken by surprise.

Like the article mentions, the experience was like a heart attack, or at least like I imagined a heart attack would be. I had pain in my chest and I couldn't breath normally. At the time, I had never had heart problems, but I was convinced I was having a heart attack.

What I learned is that no matter how bad your life gets you have to find a way to enjoy yourself so you can relieve your body of at least some of the stress that builds up inside, and eventually causes problems if not taken care of.

Animandel

Growing up, I heard people talk about other people being broken hearted. As a kid, I thought this meant that the person's heart was literally broken, like a glass that had fallen from the kitchen counter onto the hard surface of the floor. It wasn't until I reached my teenage years that I experienced my first broken heart.

I won't tell that story. Most of us have at least one story about a failed teenage romance and the results of that situation. However, at the time of my broken heart, I felt like no one understood that I was actually physically ill. I just wanted to scream when someone would tell me to simply get over it.

There were times when I could not catch my breath and my insides just felt weird, for lack of a better word. Anyway, not until I got older and went into the medical profession did I learn about the effects of stress as mentioned in this article. As a teenager, it was the stress of the failed romance that was making me sick. Maybe if my doctor had told my parents I was suffering from stress then they would have taken my broken heart syndrome more seriously.

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    • Broken heart syndrome is often mistaken for a heart attack.
      By: werbefoto-burger.ch
      Broken heart syndrome is often mistaken for a heart attack.
    • Broken heart syndrome can have many of the same symptoms of a heart attack, but does not cause permanent damage.
      By: Dan Kosmayer
      Broken heart syndrome can have many of the same symptoms of a heart attack, but does not cause permanent damage.
    • Middle aged women are among the most common victims of broken heart syndrome.
      By: Karin & Uwe Annas
      Middle aged women are among the most common victims of broken heart syndrome.
    • Elderly individuals are among the most common victims of broken heart syndrome.
      By: Budimir Jevtic
      Elderly individuals are among the most common victims of broken heart syndrome.
    • A person who has experienced a traumatic event may develop broken heart syndrome.
      By: Rafael Ben-Ari
      A person who has experienced a traumatic event may develop broken heart syndrome.