Broken Heart is Real, says Cardiologist

Most of us have suffered from a broken heart at some point in our lives. Is it just an emotional expression of love gone wrong…or is a broken heart a bonafide medical condition?

Loyola University Health System cardiologist Dr. Binh An P. Phan says that broken heart syndrome is a very real medical condition. It occurs during highly stressful or emotional periods like a broken romance, death of a loved one, loss of a job, or intense anger.

The medical term for it is “stress cardiomyopathy.” Symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of a heart attack and include chest pain and breathing difficulty. During highly stressful events, adrenalin and other stress hormones can surge and overwhelm the heart, causing narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Fortunately, broken heart syndrome usually goes away over time, leaving no lasting damage to the heart.

“Most people will get better in a few weeks without medical treatment,” said Phan in a press release.

Because the symptoms of broken heart syndrome and heart attack are so similar, people with heart attack symptoms should call 9-1-1 rather than assume anything, advises Phan, who is director of Loyola’s new Preventive Cardiology and Lipid Program.

More on American Heart Month

Just a Little Heart Attack (VIDEO): Watch this entertaining and informative video of a typical woman experiencing heart attack symptoms. Do you see yourself in this portrayal?

Tips for a Healthier Heart: Doesn’t your heart deserve a little TLC?

Source: LoyolaMedicine.org

Image: Hemera/Thinkstock

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Mrs M.

5:56PM PDT on Apr 5, 2012

How pitifully sad.

send a green star

Jane B.

4:03PM PDT on Apr 5, 2012

Teresa W., you are absolutely right. But pain exists and it is the result of our own hormones released into our bloodstreams. Stress hormones cause chest pain, fast heartbeat and many other physical symptoms. I don't like the terminology used, however. It suggests the actual physical heart has "broken" and that is impossible. It should be called what it is, clinical depression. Grief from any kind of loss can cause clinical depression and the symptoms do indeed "seem" to come from the region of the heart but they don't. Muscle spasms of the esophagus are what cause chest pains. People who are clinically depressed
often have reflux esophagitis and increased peristalsis which causes increased secretion of
copious amounts of stomach acid. All of this is caused by increased adrenalin secretion which starts the chain reaction. As long as grieving lasts there will be increased adrenalin secretion and of course physical symptoms. I have lived through this and I know what I'm talking about.

Debbie C.

5:19AM PDT on Mar 15, 2012

2 years ago I had Broken Heart Syndrome when my Mom passed away. I was seeing 4 doctors at the time and they were all worried I was going to have another heart attack since I was having trouble breathing and my chest hurt along with my feeling of grief. They changed some of my medicines, but it took awhile before my breathing and chest pain eased. I miss her every day!!!

Akay B.

9:53AM PDT on Mar 11, 2012

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Eternal G.

5:55PM PST on Mar 6, 2012

So true!

Ra S.

2:16PM PST on Mar 4, 2012

Stress is harmful to the body. This has been known and accepted for quite a while. And it's not surprising that in an elderly couple, a man rarely outlives his spouse by a long period of time. And it can also happen the other way around, although for some reason, men are a bit more prone to die from broken hearts than women are.

Marianne B.

7:05PM PST on Feb 28, 2012

I BELEIVE THIS IS TRUE, AS I HAVE WITNESSED THIS PHENONEMON WHILE WORKING AT HOSPICE.ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY MARRIED FOR A LONG TIME.

Shirley E.

3:24AM PST on Feb 28, 2012

People definitely die of broken hearts, whatever it might say on their death certificates. Especially when people have been happily married for decades you find that once one partner goes, the other follows quite quickly. Something to do with the will to live no longer being active.

Julimar C.

5:31PM PST on Feb 25, 2012

I'm sure the broken heart syndrome makes sense for the physical symptoms, but let's not confuse it with the psychological. If you let yourself go that it's probably depression and not this syndrome. Anyway, an interesting piece of information!

Lori K.

12:57PM PST on Feb 24, 2012

I felt like that when my younger daughter stopped caring about everything she had worked so hard for, and did nothing but hang out with an emotionally abusive, control freak.

She dumped her animal rescue work on me, gave up all of her environmental activist work, and did nothing.

Al Anon helped me with the racing heart, etc., when I realized she was addicted to the relationship and nothing I could do would affect her. I feel much better now.. :-)