You may have heard someone say they were \u201cheartbroken\u201d after a major loss or stressful event. While that expression is usually not meant literally, there is a real medical condition known as broken heart syndrome.<\/p>\n
Broken heart syndrome, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, is a sudden weakness in your heart muscle often caused by a surge in stress hormones. It is not life-threatening, and most people fully recover within two months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We spoke with cardiologist Leslie Ynalvez, M.D.<\/a>, to learn more about broken heart syndrome, including its causes, symptoms and how it can affect cancer treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n What causes broken heart syndrome?<\/p>\n The exact cause of broken heart syndrome isn\u2019t fully understood. But experts believe a sudden surge in stress hormones triggers it in most people.<\/p>\n \u201cThink of it as a sudden rise in adrenaline that stuns the heart muscle and can temporarily weaken its ability to pump effectively,\u201d says Ynalvez.<\/p>\n Anything that causes stress<\/a> \u2013 psychologically or emotionally \u2013 can trigger broken heart syndrome. Common stressors include:<\/p>\n Severe infection<\/a> Not everyone who experiences these things will develop broken heart syndrome. But they can increase the risk.<\/p>\n Who develops broken heart syndrome?<\/p>\n Anybody can develop broken heart syndrome. But the following may put you at higher risk for developing it:<\/p>\n Being female: About 90% or more cases of broken heart syndrome occur in women. \u201cThe role that neurological illnesses play in your risk for broken heart syndrome highlights the deep communication axis between the brain and the heart, or the central nervous system\u2019s influence on stress hormone regulation,\u201d says Ynalvez.<\/p>\n What are the symptoms of broken heart syndrome?<\/p>\n The most common symptoms of broken heart syndrome are:<\/p>\n Severe chest pressure or heaviness These symptoms often mimic the symptoms of a heart attack, so it\u2019s important to seek medical care right away.<\/p>\n Some people also develop swelling<\/a> in both legs. This happens because a weakened heart can\u2019t pump blood as efficiently. This allows fluid to build up in your body.<\/p>\n \u201cThink of your cardiovascular system as a pump and pipe network,\u201d says Ynalvez. When the pump (your heart) isn\u2019t working properly, fluid can back up in the pipe (lungs and blood vessels in the legs). This leads to shortness of breath and swelling.<\/p>\n How is broken heart syndrome diagnosed?<\/p>\n \u201cAny weakness in your heart muscle should be taken seriously,\u201d says Ynalvez. \u201cSo, the first thing we want to do is see if it\u2019s caused by a heart attack, blockages in the heart\u2019s arteries or inflammation<\/a> in the heart muscle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Broken heart syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion. \u201cThis means we will run tests to rule out common heart conditions before diagnosing broken heart syndrome,\u201d says Ynalvez.<\/p>\n One of the first tests doctors will perform is often an angiogram. This is a procedure that uses X-rays to look at arteries that supply blood to your heart. This can help your doctor see if there are blockages in your arteries. If there are no blockages, doctors can typically rule out a heart attack.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the angiogram is critical for looking at the arteries, we typically follow it up immediately with a left ventriculogram during the same procedure or an echocardiogram to look at the heart itself,\u201d says Ynalvez. \u201cThis is done specifically to spot the characteristic ballooning, or weakening of the heart\u2019s main chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n How does broken heart syndrome affect your heart?<\/p>\n Broken heart syndrome stuns the heart muscle. Most cases don\u2019t involve the entire heart. It usually affects the lower, pointed tip of the heart, known as the apex. This is called apical ballooning syndrome.<\/p>\n Apical ballooning syndrome occurs when the bottom portion of the heart is stunned and stops contracting normally. The area bulges outward (like a balloon) while the rest of the heart continues to pump.\u00a0<\/p>\n How is broken heart syndrome treated?<\/p>\n Treatment typically includes standard medications for heart failure<\/a>, such as:<\/p>\n Beta blockers \u201cWe also encourage people to avoid stress, which can be more easily said than done,\u201d says Ynalvez. \u201cBut if we know the stressor that is triggering the condition \u2013 caring for a sick loved one, for instance \u2013 then we can provide guidance or resources on how to manage that stress<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n How long does it take to recover from broken heart syndrome?<\/p>\n Fortunately, broken heart syndrome is usually a short-term and reversible condition. In most cases, medication can help a person\u2019s heart function recover in one to two months.<\/p>\n \u201cUnlike chronic heart failure, where patients often need to stay on medication indefinitely, those who recover fully from broken heart syndrome are often weaned off these drugs by their cardiologist once the heart muscle function has normalized,\u201d says Ynalvez.<\/p>\n What should cancer patients know about broken heart syndrome?<\/p>\n Some cancer treatments<\/a> can also weaken your heart muscle. This condition is known as cancer treatment-related cardiac dysfunction.<\/p>\n Examples include:<\/p>\n At UT MD Anderson, our cardiologists and oncologists work closely together to treat cancer patients while protecting their heart health<\/a>. If you have stress-induced cardiomyopathy, we grade it on a scale of either mild, moderate or severe based on ejection fraction (the heart\u2019s pumping function).<\/p>\n \u201cIf the cardiomyopathy is severe, we may talk to your oncologist about holding off on any treatments that may further weaken your heart,\u201d says Ynalvez. \u201cAfter a month, we\u2019ll do a repeat echocardiogram to evaluate recovery. Most patients can safely continue with their cancer treatment if their heart function improves.\u201d<\/p>\n In cases where the cancer is aggressive and requires more immediate treatment, we can do the echocardiogram sooner and adjust your treatment plan as needed, she adds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In some cases, we also help identify other treatments that are less likely to affect your heart when cancer is no longer responding to current treatments.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important thing is ensuring that we carefully manage the cancer and your heart health,\u201d says Ynalvez. \u201cSo close communication between specialists is key.\u201d<\/p>\n Request an appointment at UT MD Anderson online<\/a> or call 1-877-632-6789.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You may have heard someone say they were \u201cheartbroken\u201d after a major loss or stressful event. While that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422762,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1145,1143,1146,15514,56,58,57,39161,2125,1148,2822],"class_list":["post-422761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-caregivers","tag-diagnosis-treatment","tag-health-vigilant","tag-heart","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news","tag-in-treatment","tag-mental-health","tag-patients","tag-survivors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMajor blood loss
\nSerious allergic reactions
\nMedical state of shock: This is a life-threatening condition in which the circulatory system fails to deliver enough blood and oxygen to your body\u2019s organs and tissues.
\nSerious illness
\nNew cancer diagnosis<\/a>
\nSurgery<\/a> or other medical procedures
\nSevere pain<\/a>
\nCar accident
\nFierce argument
\nDeath of a loved one
\nLoss of a home, pet or relationship
\nFinancial issues<\/p>\n
\nA history of mental health conditions, such as anxiety<\/a> or depression<\/a>
\nA history of neurological illnesses, such as stroke<\/a>, seizures\/epilepsy or head injuries.<\/p>\n
\nChest pain
\nShortness of breath<\/p>\n
\nACE inhibitors
\nor Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)<\/p>\n