Broken Heart Syndrome -- Romance Has Nothing to do With it

By Dr. Nelly Stoyanova

Broken heart syndrome and baby boomers could sound odd but in fact it is a reality that affects predominantly baby boomer women and has nothing to do with St. Valentine’s Day.

What am I talking about?

In the last 2-3 years investigators have started paying close attention to a newly described syndrome called "stress cardiomyopathy". In fact, the syndrome was first described many years ago in Japan but was little known in the rest of the world.

In most cases middle age women who happen to experience acute emotional stress like news of death of a loved one or armed assault developed symptoms suggesting a heart attack.

This is very important because women complain from a shortness of breath, chest pain and a sense of impending doom. All three complaints are typical for a heart attack.

The tricky part is that tests like ECGs and cardiac enzyme tests are normal along with a normal catheterization (the coronary arteries are fine). And finally, to make things even more puzzling, the heart muscle becomes weak and "balloons" outward in the area of the left ventricle apex, hence the name.

If given appropriate intensive cardiac care, the patients survive and their long term prognosis is good. The symptoms of the "broken heart" (the cardiomyopathy) disappear after a short period.

It is important to know the connection between this syndrome and acute stress. The onset is sudden, usually in previously healthy women after experiencing acute stress like receiving bad news or experiencing horrific accident.

Although the cause is unknown, it could be related to an unusual response to the release of stress hormones (such as adrenaline) after sudden emotional stress. It is a subject of further evaluation to understand the underlying mechanism of this peculiar syndrome.

What is important for baby boomers (and baby boomer women in particular) is to become aware of this stress related and potentially deadly syndrome that can literally break your heart and how to prevent stress from overwhelming your heart. Assess your own risk for broken heart syndrome by measuring your waistline and taking the free Stress Level Test

Copyright Dr. Nelly Stoyanova

Reprint rights: You may repost any article written by Dr. Nelly Stoyanova as long as the article is left intact. Please include the author's bio and a clickable link to our site.

Author's bio: Dr. Nelly Stoyanova is a physician, medical researcher and health behavior expert. She studies the effects of stress on heart disease, type 2 diabetes and sleep. Her website: Belly Fat, Stress and Baby Boomers (http://www.stress-fat-heart-solutions-for-boomers.com) evaluates sources of stress for people over 50 and provides great tips to balance your day-to-day stress and stay healthy. Turn your life around and benefit from her expertise. For individual guidance sessions or to schedule a public speaking event use the Contact page or email at drnstoyanova@gmail.com

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