Have you ever heard the expression, "they died from a broken heart"? It turns out, this isn't a far fetched myth. Science calls it takotsubo cardiomyopathy or stress induced cardiomyopathy, but it is also known as broken heart syndrome. When married couples or family members die in closely timed events, it is commonly spoken of as death from a broken heart. It turns out the science behind broken heart syndrome is real, it also is not completely understood, but here is what is known.
Although the exact cause isn't known, experts believe that when we receive terrible and shocking news, experts our bodies can release a massive amount of stress hormones into the bloodstream. These hormones then travel to your heart, "stunning" it and causing symptoms of intense chest pain, trouble breathing and changes in blood pressure. The hormones can bombard the heart changing its rhythm which typically leaves the sufferer gasping for breath.
Although these symptoms sound like a typical heart attack, patients who fall victim to broken heart syndrome do not have any blockages in their arteries, instead the heart itself, more specifically the left ventricle, which is the main pumping chamber "balloons" causing it to become very weak.
A healthy person can often recover from this syndrome in days or weeks, usually spontaneously. In some cases however, a weak heart is not able to withstand the rapid changes and it can lead to fluid getting in the lungs, dangerous blood pressure fluctuations or even an actual heart attack.
Severe emotional distress can also lead to blood vessels in the heart restricting, which can cause rhythm abnormalities or a stroke. So what are the risk factors? Studies have found that 90% of broken heart syndrome cases are in women, and sufferers typically have a history of neurological problems such as mental health problems or seizures.