Love hurts… in fact you really can die from a broken heart

Published on Thursday 26 March 2009 21:07

RESEARCH has shed light on why some people really do suffer from broken hearts.

"Broken heart syndrome" is a life-threatening condition that remains a largely unexplained medical mystery.

Known medically as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, it involves heart attack-like symptoms that seem to be triggered by a highly stressful emotional or physical event.

US scientists looked at 70 patients diagnosed between July 2004 and April 2008. Their findings were reported in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Although 20 per cent were critically ill and needed emergency treatment, all survived and made full recoveries.

Experts believe the symptoms of broken heart syndrome may be brought on by a surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline.

All the patients in the new study had heart attack-like symptoms, including chest pain and shortness of breath.

In about 67 per cent of cases, the patients had been exposed to some sort of physical or emotional distress.

Most cases occurred during the spring and summer. In contrast, the majority of normal heart attacks occur in the cold winter months.

Dr Richard Regnante, of the Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, said: "Some believe it is simply a form of a heart attack that 'aborts' itself early and therefore doesn't leave any permanent heart muscle damage. Others say the syndrome has nothing to do with the coronary arteries and is simply a problem with the heart muscle.

"Since the seasonal pattern of broken heart syndrome is the opposite of what is seen with heart-attack patients, our findings suggest – but certainly does not prove – the latter theory may be correct."