If someone has seriously offended us, we publicly say we are heartbroken. In fact, the organ can become sick with grief. Takotsubo Syndrome or Broken Heart Syndrome in the acute phase is a life-threatening condition.
The heart doesn’t actually break in two
Contrary to popular belief, love sickness is a rare emotional stressor that can lead to the syndrome. PD Dr. view of medical Jelena-Rima Templin-Ghadri (42) She is a senior doctor in cardiology at the University Hospital Zurich.
In reality, as we often say among the people, the heart is not divided into two parts, but is in a kind of shock rigidity due to the pronounced microcirculation disorder.
How do you recognize Broken Heart Syndrome?
Our emotions have a huge impact on our physical health. But how exactly does Broken Heart Syndrome manifest in the first place? “The symptoms are the same as we see in a classic heart attack,” says Templin-Ghadri.
First of all, there is chest pain and shortness of breath, as the senior doctor explains: “Both occur acutely, in the majority of cases directly after an emotional or physical stress event.”
Differences between a broken heart and a heart attack
Although the symptoms of broken heart syndrome and heart attack are very similar, the two clinical pictures are fundamentally different. “In the case of a heart attack, for example, a coronary artery is acutely blocked, while broken heart syndrome causes a marked microcirculation disorder without affecting the large coronary arteries in the heart,” explains Templin-Ghadri.
A heart attack also leaves a scar on the heart muscle, which often results in permanent functional impairment. “In the case of broken heart syndrome, heart function returns to normal, but this can take several weeks to months.”
According to the expert, the mortality rate of patients with broken heart syndrome is three to five percent, which is as high as an acute heart attack. Several factors are predictive of a prognosis, including the underlying stressor that leads to broken heart syndrome.
“There are many reasons”
Emotional and physical stress can trigger broken heart syndrome. According to the heart specialist, these include emotional stressors such as the loss of a loved one, workplace bullying, trouble with friends and acquaintances, and the diagnosis of a serious illness.
“In recent years, physical stressors have also been increasingly identified. These primarily include acute shortness of breath, for example in the context of an acute asthma attack. But anesthetics are also common physical stressors during operations or acute neurological illnesses such as epilepsy or stroke,” explains Templin-Ghadri.
How many people are affected?
According to the heart specialist, the disease has been increasingly diagnosed in recent years. The reason for this is that there is more information about this disease and therefore the diagnosis can be made more frequently. “Still, it’s still an underdiagnosed disease.”
women are affected more often
Broken Heart Syndrome can affect anyone. “However, we hypothesize that patients with impaired microvascular function and increased sympathetic tone are at higher risk of developing it,” says the senior doctor. People with neurological and psychiatric comorbidities such as depression, anxiety disorders or migraine are therefore more susceptible to broken heart syndrome.
It also affects women significantly more often than men. “Interestingly, about eight to nine out of ten patients are women, particularly of postmenopausal age,” says Templin-Ghadri.
This can be done about
Unfortunately, there is still no medicine that will definitely help with broken heart syndrome in the acute phase. “To date, no prospective studies have examined the effect of drugs on patient outcomes,” the heart specialist admits.
There is not much that can be done to prevent the disease. But the senior doctor advises: “The general advice is to avoid stressful situations. However, as we know, it is not possible to completely protect ourselves from stressful situations that may arise at any time in daily life.»