CAN A BROKEN HEART REALLY HARM YOUR HEART? ADVICE FOR THE CONDITION THAT MIMICS HEART ATTACKS

A CONDITION DUBBED BROKEN HEART SYNDROME MIMICS HEART ATTACKS AND AFFECTS MOSTLY WOMEN, BUT WHY? PATSY WESTCOTT REPORTS

MOST OF US KNOW THAT SURGE OF ADRENALINE THAT COMES FROM A SUDDEN SHOCK, RECEIVING TERRIBLE NEWS OR EVEN

DIVORCE OR BEREAVEMENT,

BUT COULD SUCH EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS

LEAD TO A SERIOUS CHANGE IN THE WAY

OUR HEART FUNCTIONS?

THE RISING DIAGNOSIS OF BROKEN

HEART SYNDROME, SO-CALLED BECAUSE IT IS OFTEN TRIGGERED BY SEVERE EMOTIONAL OR PHYSICAL STRESS, SUGGESTS THEY COULD. IN THE UK ABOUT 3,000 PEOPLE EXPERIENCE BROKEN HEART SYNDROME – MEDICALLY CALLED TAKOTSUBO CARDIOMYOPATHY – EACH YEAR. AND THIS FIGURE IS RISING. NINE OUT OF TEN OF THOSE AFFECTED ARE WOMEN.

FIRST IDENTIFIED BY A JAPANESE

DOCTOR IN 1990, THE CONDITION IS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED AS A HEART ATTACK,

AS THE SYMPTOMS ARE VERY SIMILAR. “THE HEART EVEN RELEASES THE SAME MARKER CHEMICALS PRODUCED AFTER AN ATTACK, ALBEIT IN SMALLER QUANTITIES,” EXPLAINS CONSULTANT CARDIOLOGIST, DR DANA DAWSON, OF ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY.

IN TAKOTSUBO, HOWEVER, THE BLOCKED ARTERIES THAT PREVENT THE FLOW OF OXYGEN-RICH BLOOD TO THE HEART AS IN A TRUE HEART ATTACK ARE MISSING, AND

THE HEART’S MAIN PUMPING CHAMBER, THE LEFT VENTRICLE, BALLOONS. IT’S THIS FEATURE THAT LED TO THE NAME TAKOTSUBO, AFTER A ROUND-BELLIED POT JAPANESE FISHERMEN USE TO TRAP OCTOPUS. “IN THE PAST, TAKOTSUBO WAS VERY OFTEN MISSED OR MISDIAGNOSED,” EXPLAINS DR DAWSON. “WE NOW BELIEVE IT COULD BE THE TRUE CULPRIT IN AS MANY AS SEVEN OUT OF 100 PRESUMED HEART ATTACKS.”

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT CARDIOLOGISTS ARE NOW MORE AWARE OF THE CONDITION.

What causes takotsubo?

ONE THEORY IS THAT

IT’S AN ABNORMAL REACTION OF THE HEART

TO A SUDDEN SURGE OF THE STRESS HORMONE, ADRENALINE. THIS SETS OFF A CHEMICAL CHAIN REACTION, WHICH ENDS IN THE HEART BECOMING INFLAMED AND DEPLETED OF THE ENERGY NEEDED TO FUEL THE CONTRACTION OF ITS CELLS. THE BALLOONING HAPPENS BECAUSE ONE PART OF THE HEART CONTRACTS POORLY RELATIVE TO THE REST. BLOOD IN THE PARTS CONTRACTING NORMALLY IS PUSHED OUT OF THE HEART, WHILE BLOOD INSIDE THE POORLY CONTRACTING PART BECOMES TRAPPED.

Why are women most affected?

IT’S NOT CURRENTLY KNOWN, BUT THE RISK INCREASES WITH AGE. IT’S BEEN REPORTED

THAT OLDER WOMEN’S HEARTS HAVE CERTAIN SPECIALISED CELLS ON THEIR SURFACE, WHICH TEND TO RESPOND ABNORMALLY TO ADRENALINE, SO THIS COULD BE A FACTOR. BUT ANYONE OF ANY AGE CAN BE AFFECTED, INCLUDING MEN.

How is it treated?

BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF SHOCK OR LIFETHREATENING ELECTRICAL INSTABILITY OF THE HEART DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF ATTACKS, SUFFERERS ARE ADMITTED TO A SPECIALIST CORONARY CARE UNIT FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS. “THERE IS NO CONSENSUS ON LONGER-TERM MEASURES. THERE HAVEN’T BEEN ANY

TRIGGER POINTS

IN MORE THAN 85% OF SUFFERERS, TAKOTSUBO FOLLOWS A PHYSICALLY OR EMOTIONALLY STRESSFUL EVENT INCLUDING:

SERIOUS ILLNESS RECEIVING BAD NEWS A CAR ACCIDENT GRIEF – CLASSICALLY DUE TO A BEREAVEMENT, A BREAK-UP OR DIVORCE MAJOR CRISES SUCH AS WAR A CONFLICT OR ARGUMENT

CLINICAL TRIALS YET TO EXPLORE MEDICINES THAT MAY HELP THE HEART RECOVER BETTER OR PREVENT RECURRENCE, ALTHOUGH WE’RE LEARNING ALL THE TIME,” SAYS DR DAWSON.

Any lasting effects?

IT WAS THOUGHT THE HEART RECOVERED FULLY WITHIN THREE MONTHS. BUT NEW RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN, FUNDED BY THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION AND LED BY DR DAWSON, REVEALS FULL RECOVERY MAY TAKE LONGER. THE SQUEEZING AND WRINGING MOVEMENTS ARE STILL IMPAIRED FOUR MONTHS AFTER AN ATTACK AND SCARRING CAN OCCUR, REDUCING ELASTICITY AND PREVENTING THE HEART FROM CONTRACTING PROPERLY.

THIS PARTLY EXPLAINS FIGURES SHOWING A SMALL RISK OF DEATH EVEN YEARS LATER.

Know the symptoms

SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL HELP IF YOU EXPERIENCE CHEST PAIN AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH FOR ANYTHING FROM A FEW MINUTES TO HOURS, DAYS OR WEEKS AFTER SEVERE EMOTIONAL OR PHYSICAL STRESS.