14 DAY TRIAL // Death from a broken heart is often believed to be no more than just the kind of occurrence we read about in books or see in movies with a tragic love story. So far, people said that no one could actually die from a broken heart, but the latest research comes to prove that wrong: too much pain and grief, as well as a very powerful emotional shock can lead to heart attack-like symptoms that may often result in death.
The broken heart symptom is real, researchers say, and goes by the medical name of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, as Japanese doctors first named it when they initially studied it in the ‘90s. It implies heart attack-like symptoms, including chest pains and shortness of breath, which can be triggered by an emotional shock, such as the one following news of an accident, illness in the family or a very violent argument.
Because of the release of a high amount of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, a part of the heart can be weakened and become “stunned,” experts believe.
Researchers from two hospitals in Providence, Rhode Island, who have conducted the study, also note in the American Journal of Cardiology that, while patients displayed different symptoms, what they had in common was that each one had been through an extremely emotional moment before their onset. Moreover, most such cases appeared in spring and summer, as opposed to normal heart attacks, which often took place in winter.
Even if researchers are still not able to pinpoint the exact causes, or mechanisms of the broken heart symptom, they are positive they’re one step closer to doing so, while also showing that it does, indeed, exist.
“Some believe it is simply a form of a heart attack that ‘aborts’ itself early and therefore doesn’t leave any permanent heart muscle damage. Others say that the syndrome has nothing to do with the coronary arteries and is simply a problem with the heart muscle.” Dr. Richard Regnante of The Miriam Hospital in Providence says about the possible theories regarding the broken heart syndrome. At the same time, he believes further studies will prove it’s the latter option.
According to the Daily Mail, Dr. Regnante is now recruiting patients with a broken heart syndrome in order to conduct another study on the same topic. By using ultrasound imaging, Regnante and his team will seek to establish the exact internal damages caused by this condition.