Can a Broken Heart Kill You? Understanding Broken Heart Syndrome and Its Risks

Losing a loved one is never easy. Following that, is the sense of grief, detachment and even suicidal thoughts. But what if we tell you, a broken heart can literally kill someone! Takotsubo Cardiomyopathyis a medical condition, commonly called The Broken Heart Syndrome. It occurs when extreme stress, either emotional or physical, weakens the heart muscle. This condition is different from a heart attack. This condition does not block the arteries, but the heart’s pumping action is temporarily blocked.Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is named after a Japanese pot used by fishermen to trap octopus. ‘Tako’ refers to octopus while ‘Tsubo’ is the Japanese word for pot or a jar. The name was given by Japanese doctors, when in 1990, they noticed the shape of a heart that suffered this syndrome similar to a Takotsubo.Why does The Broken Heart Syndrome happen? This condition usually triggers after sudden and intense stress, which can be emotional or physical. Emotional triggers can include death of a loved one, break-up or psychological shock. Physical triggers can also lead to the Broken Heart Syndrome, these may include a surgery, infection, stroke or an accident.The sudden trigger leads to the release of a number of stress hormones like adrenaline, noradrenaline or cortisol. The flood of these hormones overstimulates the heart and affects the contraction of the heart muscles. This condition majorly affects the left ventricle of the heart which is the main pumping chamber. This ‘stuns’ the heart and temporarily weakens it, which leads to the bulging out of the bottom part as it becomes too weak to contract. This drops the overall pumping ability of the heart, causing shortness of breath, chest pain and in some cases a severe shock.Is Broken Heart Syndrome fatal? Most individuals who experience this syndrome recover within a span of two to three months. But in rare cases, it has been recorded as fatal. A study conducted by Harvard University describes in most cases the abnormalities in the ventricle wall movement cleared up within a month, but in some people, persistent signs lead to heart failure as the heart becomes too weak to pump blood.Can a ‘Broken Heart’ be mended?Broken Heart syndrome is different from a heart attack. Unlike a heart attack, where the heart muscle is permanently damaged, in Broken Heart Syndrome, the heart muscles are only stunned and can return to their normal condition. A study from Harvard highlights how treating Broken Heart Syndrome often includes ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, and beta blockers to reduce the strain on the heart. Although, the report highlights that there’s no direct evidence about the prevention of Takotsubo Syndrome through stress reduction, many cases showed practices such as meditation and deep breathing helped modify the brain's response to stress, which simply lowers the risk of heart conditions.