Broken heart syndrome

Overview

Broken heart syndrome is a temporary heart condition that’s often brought on by stressful situations and extreme emotions. The condition can also be triggered by a serious physical illness or surgery.
It may also be called stress cardiomyopathy, takotsubo cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning syndrome.

People with broken heart syndrome may have sudden chest pain or think they’re having a heart attack. Broken heart syndrome affects just part of the heart, temporarily disrupting your heart’s normal pumping function. The rest of the heart continues to function normally or may even have more forceful contractions.

The symptoms of broken heart syndrome are treatable, and the condition usually reverses itself in days or weeks.

Symptoms

Broken heart syndrome symptoms can mimic a heart attack. Common symptoms include:

Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Any long-lasting or persistent chest pain could be a sign of a heart attack, so it’s important to take it seriously and call emergency ambulance if you experience chest pain.

If you’re having any chest pain, a very rapid or irregular heartbeat, or shortness of breath after a stressful event, call ambulance emergency or emergency medical assistance immediately.
Causes
The exact cause of broken heart syndrome is unclear. It’s thought that a surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, might temporarily damage the hearts of some people. How these hormones might hurt the heart or whether something else is responsible isn’t completely clear.

A temporary constriction of the large or small arteries of the heart has been suspected to play a role. People who have broken heart syndrome may also have a difference in the structure of the heart muscle.

Broken heart syndrome is often preceded by an intense physical or emotional event. Some potential triggers of broken heart syndrome are:

The death of a loved one
A frightening medical diagnosis
Domestic abuse
Losing — or even winning — a lot of money
Strong arguments
A surprise party
Public speaking
Job loss or financial difficulty
Divorce
Physical stressors, such as an asthma attack, COVID-19 infection, a broken bone or major surgery

It’s also possible that some drugs, rarely, may cause broken heart syndrome by causing a surge of stress hormones. Drugs that may contribute to broken heart syndrome include:

Epinephrine (EpiPen, EpiPen Jr.), which is used to treat severe allergic reactions or a severe asthma attack
Duloxetine (Cymbalta), a medication given to treat nerve problems in people with diabetes, or as a treatment for depression
Venlafaxine (Effexor XR), a treatment for depression
Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl), a drug given to people whose thyroid glands don’t work properly
Unprescribed or illegal stimulants, such as methamphetamine and cocaine

SEE PART 2.