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Joe Garcia died shortly after learning that his wife had died in a shootout in Texas. Doctors listed “broken heart syndrome” as the cause. Such a disease entity does exist. How is it that a heart can really break?
- Joe Garcia, the husband of a teacher killed in a Texas school shootout, died on Thursday. Doctors cited a rare cardiac disease as the cause — broken heart syndrome
- It is professionally called takotsubo cardiomyopathy and caused by a very strong, stressful stimulus, incl. the death of a loved one
- This disease occurs in about 1-2 percent. patients with diagnosed acute coronary syndrome. It most often affects postmenopausal women
- You can find more similar news on the TvoiLokony home page
The echoes of the Tuesday massacre at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, continue. The 18-year-old attacker murdered 21 people at school, including 19 children. Now the victims’ families are experiencing a nightmare. On Thursday, Joe Garcia, husband of one of the two killed teachers, died of grief. The family of the deceased couple informed about the case on social media.
“He died of grief for the loss of a beloved woman”
«With a torn heart and deep sadness, I inform you that the husband of our Tia Irma, Joe Garcia, he died of grief for the loss of a beloved woman. I have no words to describe how we all feel. Pray for our family » — John Martinez, the nephew of the shot schoolteacher, wrote on social media. The couple orphaned four children.
The nbcnews.com portal, which reached the family of the deceased, informs about the details of the man’s death. According to Garcia’s account, he went to get flowers before his wife’s funeral. When he got home, he sat down in the armchair and fell to the floor after three minutes. Despite immediate resuscitation and the arrival of an ambulance, nothing could be done. The man died.
According to American journalists, doctors described this case as an example of the broken heart syndrome. What is this ailment?
Can you die of a “broken heart”?
Broken heart syndrome or more scientifically takotsubo cardiomyopathy is “a relatively rare disease entity characterized by symptoms imitating acute coronary syndrome and is treated as such in the initial period” — describe experts in the journal “Heart and Vascular Diseases”. It occurs in about 1-2 percent. patients with diagnosed acute coronary syndrome. Most often, this disease affects postmenopausal women.
Broken heart syndrome is associated with strong emotions and the patient’s stress. Any situation that evokes great emotions can be the starting pebble starting an avalanche — the death of a loved one, a bandit attack, a failed suicide attempt, and even … the defeat of your favorite team. There are known cases of the so-called a team of a happy heart when the takotsubo was triggered by a joyful event such as a big win or a wedding.
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What then happens in the human body? Sudden release of stress hormones, which in small doses lead to the mobilization of the body, in excessive amounts may lead to heart disorders.
«As a result, one part of the heart’s ventricle shrinks very much, and the rest is distended. This shape resembles a takotsubo, or Japanese octopus vessel, which has a narrow neck and a wide, flattened bottom “- explained cardiologist, prof. Marcin Fijałkowski. The name of the band was created in Japan. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was first described in the early 90s by Dr. Hikaru Sato from Hiroshima.
Broken heart syndrome – symptoms
Broken heart syndrome can “impersonate” a heart attack, acute heart failure or coronary heart disease. As explained in the pages of NBC News, cardiologist Dr. Deepak Bhatt, usually appears right after receiving the tragic news, but some people take longer to realize the loss and their broken heart syndrome will show up later.
Symptoms that may indicate takotsubo cardiomyopathy include:
- sudden pain in the chest spreading to the shoulders;
- fast and weak heart rate;
- drop in blood pressure, fast and deep breathing;
- lowering body temperature. As a result, the skin turns pale and cold, it is covered with sweat;
- disturbances of consciousness;
An EKG and coronary angiography are necessary for diagnosis.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy – prognosis
“Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is generally considered a benign disease with a good prognosis in most cases, but in its acute phase there may be potentially life-threatening complications” — You can read in the trade journal “Heart and Vascular Diseases”.
Heart symptoms should not be taken lightly.