ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Odds are your heart’s been broken before. But it’s more than a simple hurtful feeling. Broken heart syndrome is a condition where some of your heart muscle weakens rapidly. This typically happens after sudden physical or emotional stress. Most people who have broken heart syndrome are older than 50 and this condition is more common in women than in men. But men might be in more danger.
Couples breaking up, death in the family, divorces. All have one thing in common: a heartbreak. And it can lead to a condition called broken heart syndrome.
“It is a pattern that we see where the base of the heart sort of squeezes, it’s hyper-dynamic, but the rest of the heart looks like a balloon,” explained Rajesh Shah, MD, interventional cardiologist at Orlando Cardiac & Vascular Specialists.
While women are more likely to get this, a new study by the American Heart Association showed men are more likely to die from it. The study found that 11% of men died compared to 5% of women. The causes of this condition involve emotionally stressful situations, like a loss of a loved one, traumatic events, and physical stress like a car accident or surgery. Experts say men struggle more with recovery due to less social support for managing stress.
“Social isolation and loneliness on our health is as powerful as things like smoking, high blood pressure, obesity,” said Richard S. Schwartz, MD, psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School.
Experts say the best advice is:
“Pay attention to your symptoms. If you’re having symptoms, get them checked out,” said Prakash Balan, MD, interventional cardiologist at Lifetime Heart & Vascular.
Symptoms include low blood pressure and irregular heartbeats. Go to the hospital if you have chest pain or shortness of breath.
People mistake broken heart syndrome with a heart attack. The difference is that a heart attack is generally caused by a complete or near-complete blockage of a heart artery. In broken heart syndrome, the heart arteries are not blocked, but blood flow in the heart’s arteries is reduced.
Contributors to this news report include: Cliff Tumetel, Producer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.
Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17857-broken-heart-syndrome/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/broken-heart-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354617
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/men-more-likely-to-die-of-broken-heart-syndrome
* For More Information, Contact: Rajesh Shah, M.D.
Interventional Cardiologist at Orlando Cardiac & Vascular Specialists
407-915-5643
www.orlandocardiacspecialists.com
and
Richard S. Schwartz, MD
Psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School
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