Broken Heart Syndrome: A Disease which mimics Heart Failure

Broken heart syndrome is a short-term heart condition.

In broken heart disorder, a brief interruption of your heart's ordinary pumping capacity happens in one zone of the heart. The rest of the heart functions normally or with even more forceful contractions. Broken heart syndrome may be caused by the heart's reaction to a rise of stress hormones.

The condition may also be known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, apical ballooning syndrome or stress cardiomyopathy by doctors. The symptoms of broken heart syndrome are curable, and the condition usually reverses in few days.

Causes for Broken Heart Syndrome

·      Stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one

·      Serious physical illness or surgery

·      Domestic abuse

·      Financial Issues

·      Strong arguments

·      A surprise party

·      Marital status

·      Physical stressors like an asthma attack, an accident or severe surgery

Some drugs, rarely, may cause broken heart syndrome by causing a surge of stress hormones

·      Epinephrine

·      Duloxetine

·      Venlafaxine

·      Levothyroxine

Symptoms of Broken Heart Syndrome

Symptoms of Broken heart syndrome can imitate a heart attack.

Common symptoms include:

·      Chest pain

·      Shortness of breath

Diagnosis Methods

·      Personal history and physical exam

·      Electrocardiogram (ECG)

·      Echocardiogram

·      Blood tests

·      Chest X-ray

·      Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

·      Coronary Angiogram

Risk factors for Broken Heart Syndrome

There are a number of known risk factors for broken heart syndrome, including:

·      Sex: This condition affects women more often than men.

·      Age: Broken heart syndrome is often seen in older than 50 years.

·      Past history of neurological condition: People who have neurological disorders, such as a head injury or epilepsy have a higher risk of broken heart syndrome.

·      Psychiatric disorder: People with disorders, such as anxiety or depression prone have a higher risk of broken heart syndrome.

Complications of Broken Heart Syndrome

Complications of broken heart syndrome include:

·      Backup of fluid into your lungs

·      Low blood pressure

·      Disruptions in your heartbeat

·      Heart failure

Treatment for Broken Heart Syndrome

·      Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors,

·      Beta blockers

·      Diuretics