Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStress and Chest PainSymptomsTreatmentCauses, Triggers, Risk FactorsRuling Out Heart AttackRecovery TimelineManaging Stress
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Stress and Chest Pain
Symptoms
Treatment
Causes, Triggers, Risk Factors
Ruling Out Heart Attack
Recovery Timeline
Managing Stress
Broken heart syndrome, orTakotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a form of heart strain that can develop as a result of severe emotional or physical stress. This condition is different from a heart attack, but it can be just as dangerous, even fatal.
The symptoms of this stress-induced weakening of the heart can mimic a heart attack and includeangina(chest pain), shortness of breath, and an irregular heartbeat. However, cardiac tests will not uncover blockages or other changes that healthcare providers expect to see during a heart attack.
This article explores broken heart syndrome, how it feels, how it’s diagnosed, and what to expect regarding treatment and recovery.
Broken Heart Syndrome, Stress, and Chest Pain: What’s the Link?
Broken heart syndrome is a type ofcardiomyopathy, a condition that occurs when your heart muscles get weak and less effective in pumping blood throughout your body. Many types of cardiomyopathy exist, each with specific causes or risk factors.
Broken heart syndrome is known as stress-induced or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy because it develops from intense emotional orphysical stress.
Instressful events, such as the loss of a loved one or a natural disaster, stress hormones calledcatecholaminesbuild up to toxic levels in the body. The exact mechanisms that cause broken heart syndrome aren’t entirely understood, but catecholamines are believed to play a significant role. These hormones lead tooxidative stressand changes incalcium levelsand blood flow that can cause symptoms like chest pain andshortness of breath.
During aheart attack, a blood clot or blockage prevents the normal amount of blood flow through the chambers of your heart, leading to chest pain. In broken heart syndrome, stress changes how your heart works (often temporarily), resulting in the same kind of pain.Broken heart syndrome does not result from a blockage.
What Is Angina?
Heart and Chest Symptoms
People who develop broken heart syndrome usually end up in a hospital emergency department due to its similarity to a heart attack in terms of symptoms and presentation, including:
While at the hospital, healthcare providers will run testing to determine the cause of your symptoms. They will look at the results of an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and blood tests to seewhether you had a heart attackor if they should investigate other potential causes.
How to Treat Broken Heart Syndrome
Nearly 9% of cases of broken heart syndrome lead to death, but for many others, the condition is temporary.Recovery from broken heart syndrome typically takes a few weeks. Still, there is also a chance that you could develop long-term heart problems after an acute episode of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
Effective treatment for broken heart syndrome begins with an accurate diagnosis, which can be challenging.
Hospitalization and Emergency Treatment
Treatment for broken heart syndrome is done with medications, not surgeries, to relieve symptoms and prevent additional problems. Some medicines that are used to treat this type of cardiomyopathy include:
Different treatments and prolonged hospitalization might be necessary if you develop other complications from broken heart syndrome, such as:
How Heart Disease Is Treated
Causes, Triggers, and Increased Risk Factors
Broken heart syndrome can be a misleading name for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Although extremeemotional stresscan trigger the condition and is most commonly associated with this kind of cardiomyopathy, a study from 2020 reveals that more recent evidence points to physical triggers as the most common cause.
Examples of physical triggers that have been associated with broken heart syndrome are:
Ruling Out Heart Attack vs. Broken Heart Syndrome Diagnosis
Since the set of symptoms for broken heart syndrome is the same as acute cardiac syndrome (ACS), several tests will be done first to diagnose and possibly rule out a heart attack. This can include basic cardiac tests like:
You may require multiple rounds of testing to rule out a heart attack or other cardiac issues that can also appear with chest pain. Once those conditions are ruled out, other diagnoses, like broken heart syndrome, may be considered and treated.
Recovery Timeline at Start of Treatment
About 90% of people who develop broken heart syndrome recover in four to eight weeks. Relapses or recurrences do happen, but they usually occur in people who have had complications at the start of their disease or who have other complex medical conditions.
Some of the long-term issues that people with broken heart syndrome have been known to develop as a result of their cardiomyopathy include:
Certain conditions could make you more likely to develop complications with broken heart syndrome, such as:
Managing Emotions and Stress
Emotional stress can contribute to broken heart syndrome. It’s essential to your mental and physical health to find ways tomanage stress, anxiety, and other types of emotional strain.
If you are at risk of developing broken heart syndrome or you have experienced it already, it’s essential to work with acardiologistandpsychiatristto reduce your risk of recurrence and other complications.
Summary
Broken heart syndrome is a problem you might develop if you’re under severe physical or emotional stress. The stress hormones in your body can contribute to cardiomyopathy or a weakening of the heart. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome, can be fatal. However, most people who experience broken heart syndrome recover within a few months.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Looi J, Lee M, Webster MWI,et al.Postdischarge outcome after Takotsubo syndrome compared with patients post-ACS and those without prior CVD: ANZACS-QI 1.Open Heart2018;5:e000918. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000918American Heart Association.Is broken heart syndrome real?.Amin HZ, Amin LZ, Pradipta A.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a brief review.J Med Life. 2020;13(1):3-7. doi:10.25122/jml-2018-0067National Institutes of Health.Chest pain.Bairashevskaia AV, Belogubova SY, Kondratiuk MR, et al.Update of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: present experience and outlook for the future.IJC Heart Vasc.March 2022;39(100990). doi:10.1016/j.ijcha.2022.100990
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Looi J, Lee M, Webster MWI,et al.Postdischarge outcome after Takotsubo syndrome compared with patients post-ACS and those without prior CVD: ANZACS-QI 1.Open Heart2018;5:e000918. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000918American Heart Association.Is broken heart syndrome real?.Amin HZ, Amin LZ, Pradipta A.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a brief review.J Med Life. 2020;13(1):3-7. doi:10.25122/jml-2018-0067National Institutes of Health.Chest pain.Bairashevskaia AV, Belogubova SY, Kondratiuk MR, et al.Update of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: present experience and outlook for the future.IJC Heart Vasc.March 2022;39(100990). doi:10.1016/j.ijcha.2022.100990
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Looi J, Lee M, Webster MWI,et al.Postdischarge outcome after Takotsubo syndrome compared with patients post-ACS and those without prior CVD: ANZACS-QI 1.Open Heart2018;5:e000918. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000918American Heart Association.Is broken heart syndrome real?.Amin HZ, Amin LZ, Pradipta A.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a brief review.J Med Life. 2020;13(1):3-7. doi:10.25122/jml-2018-0067National Institutes of Health.Chest pain.Bairashevskaia AV, Belogubova SY, Kondratiuk MR, et al.Update of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: present experience and outlook for the future.IJC Heart Vasc.March 2022;39(100990). doi:10.1016/j.ijcha.2022.100990
Looi J, Lee M, Webster MWI,et al.Postdischarge outcome after Takotsubo syndrome compared with patients post-ACS and those without prior CVD: ANZACS-QI 1.Open Heart2018;5:e000918. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2018-000918
American Heart Association.Is broken heart syndrome real?.
Amin HZ, Amin LZ, Pradipta A.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a brief review.J Med Life. 2020;13(1):3-7. doi:10.25122/jml-2018-0067
National Institutes of Health.Chest pain.
Bairashevskaia AV, Belogubova SY, Kondratiuk MR, et al.Update of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: present experience and outlook for the future.IJC Heart Vasc.March 2022;39(100990). doi:10.1016/j.ijcha.2022.100990
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