Cases of ‘broken heart syndrome’ rising during coronavirus pandemic as stress levels soar

Cases of ' broken heart syndrome' are more than four times higher during the coronavirus pandemic as stress levels soar, a study has found.

Doctors in Cleveland, Ohio, reported that the condition, stress cardiomyopathy, has grown more prevalent since March in patients presenting with heart symptoms.

Symptoms of the stress-driven syndrome can resemble a heart attack — with chest pains and a shortness of breath, but without acutely blocked coronary arteries.

Other signs of the condition include an enlarged left ventricle, an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure and fainting.

In some cases, it may lead to cardiogenic shock — an oftenfatal condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.

'The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about multiple levels of stress in people's lives across the country and world,' said cardiologist Ankur Kalra of the Cleveland Clinic.

' People are not only worried about themselves or their families becoming ill — they are dealing with economic and emotional issues, societal problems and potential loneliness and isolation.'

' The stress can have physical effects on our bodies and our hearts, as evidenced by the increasing diagnoses of stress cardio my op a thy we are experiencing.'

While the causes of stress cardiomyopathy are not fully understood, experts believe that physical and emotional stress can release hormones that temporarily lower the heart's ability to pump, causing it to develop an irregular rhythm.

The condition is also referred to as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, in reference to the Japanese expression for a 'fishing pot for trapping octopus' — which is what the weakened left ventricle of the heart can resemble in sufferers of the condition.

In their study, Dr Kalra and colleagues examined 258 patients who presented at either the Cleveland Clinic or Akron General with a set of heart symptoms referred to as acute coronary syndrome in either March or April this year.

Symptoms of acute coronary syndrome include chest pain, tightness in the chest and left side of the body, sweating, nausea, vomiting and shortness of breath.

The researchers compared the patients attending during the pandemic with four control groups of individuals with the same condition from before COVID-19. They found that the incidence of stress cardiomyopathy among the patients with acute coronary syndrome had increased from around 1.7 per cent to 7.8 per cent.

There was, however, no difference in the rate of mortality of the patients before and after the pandemic began.

'While the pandemic continues to evolve, self- care during this difficult time is critical to our heart health — and our overall health,' said paper author and Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Grant Reed.

' Exercise, meditation and connecting with family and friends — while maintaining physical distance and safety measures — can also help relieve anxiety.'

The full findings of the study were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.