Broken heart syndrome, or acute heart failure unrelated to coronary artery disease, may be more common than previously thought, says the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association. Its most common victims are women.
It is not sure what the causes of the so-called broken heart syndrome, the existence of which was until recently even doubted. It is suspected that the main reasons for it are strong emotions, e.g. a serious illness or death of a loved one, as well as divorce or separation with a partner.
A study of 256 people published by JAMA found that stress cardiomyopathy, as doctors call it, most often occurs in postmenopausal women. They constituted as much as 81 percent. all patients studied with this heart disorder in care centers in the USA and Europe.
Only 11 percent. the sick were men, and 8 percent. people were no more than 50 years old.
In 71 percent of the respondents found severe stress which led to this broken heart syndrome within 48 hours at the latest. Of these people, 87 percent. heart rhythm disturbances are detected using ECG.
Earlier studies have suggested that strong stress is the cause of 89 percent. cases of stress cardiomyopathy. JAMA says this suggests that its mechanism is more complicated than it seems. Apart from stress, hormones and the condition of the coronary vessels of the heart may also play an important role, although in 75% of patients. there was no evidence of coronary atherosclerosis.
CMR examinations (using magnetic resonance imaging) have shown that during the broken heart syndrome the left ventricle enlarges and its contractility deteriorates. There is also the so-called a ballot tip, i.e. stretching the lower part of the left ventricle tip. Hence, the disorder is called tip balloting syndrome.
Yet another term for it is takotsubo, as this widened part of the chamber resembles the tako-tsubo, a narrow-necked, wide-bottomed vessel used by Japanese fishermen to catch octopuses.
JAMA warns that broken heart syndrome can be difficult to diagnose in some people.
Symptoms may include chest pain, fast and deep breathing, as well as cardiogenic shock as indicated by cold, pale sweat-covered skin, low body temperature, fast and weak pulse, drop in blood pressure, and disturbed consciousness.
Some people may also experience sudden cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. The only salvation then is the immediate use of a defibrillator, a device that sends a DC electrical pulse through the chest, which can restore the correct heart rhythm (PAP).