Battling Broken Heart Syndrome
You wake up from a nap with intense chest pain. You decide to go to the emergency room just to be safe. The doctor runs some tests and explains that you have takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome.
Takotsuba cardiomyopathy a.k.a. broken heart syndrome is when your blood chemistry and altered heart rhythms are consistent with that of a heart attack but you don’t have the blockages in major arteries which are key to that of a heart attack.
The left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart that sends blood throughout the body, stops working properly. Blood flow from the left ventricle is significantly compromised instead of working at 100 percent capacity.
The word “takotsuba” means octopus pot in Japanese which is what the left ventricle looks like. It balloons out and stays that way behind a narrow band—resembling the tool fisherman use to trap octopuses.
The condition mimics a heart attack or acute coronary syndrome. It is frequently brought on by acute medical illness or intense physical or emotional stress (such as death of a loved one hence the name broken heart syndrome). It is more common in women than men. The thinking is that after menopause, the vanishing protection offered by estrogen leaves women more susceptible to this type of heart condition.
The common symptoms are: Shortness of breath, fatigue, sweating, profound weakness, low blood pressure, breathing difficulties, chest pain or discomfort, fast heart rate, and extreme heart rhythms (fast or slow).
A speed rush from catecholamines—a stimulant hormone your body produces—is believed to trigger the condition. Physical stress such as a car wreck also can cause it.
It is a transient disorder, meaning it comes and goes. It is managed primarily with supportive therapy such as stress reduction. Treatment during the acute phase of the attack usually lasts one to four weeks and consists of ACE inhibitors (which widens blood vessels), beta blockers, diuretics and/or aspirin. Because the condition can recur, long-term treatment with beta blockers or alpha and beta blockers may be continued.
Most people with broken heart syndrome recover. But in some rare cases, it can lead to death.
Patients who undergo surgery or develop an infection/disease can also suffer from broken heart syndrome. It can put immense stress on the body, causing the heart to become weak and dysfunctional. But this can occur over time. However, the emotional condition is not the same for everyone. It can differ in people based on their level of sensitivity. In some cases, it may be caused by incidents that seem trivial to others. In short, any major stress on the body may be responsible for causing this condition.
Experts can only find the difference between a heart attack and broken heart syndrome when they perform the angiography surgery and notice no blockages, unlike heart attacks. When the patient recovers in four to five days, the short recovery time confirms broken heart syndrome. The effect on the heart differs from person to person.
In some people, the illness only results in little cardiac damage, which heals over time. Some patients can go into acute heart failure. However, in most cases, once the stressful period is over, the heart recovers and becomes normal.
When a heart is in trouble, it needs courage and support to heal. The heart normally heals over time if supportive treatment is continued throughout the acute crisis. Experts treat the condition with medication (used in treating heart disease), psychological counseling and giving the heart time to recover. Supportive treatment is the best solution. A fatal outcome can be averted with necessary medical support.
