Broken heart syndrome: heart defects due to broken heart & bull; hello healthy

We often find confusion in everyday life. Whether it's because of work, financial burdens, or what most often affects young people is because of love problems, breakups. But, did you know that heartbreak really exists? In the medical world, this disease that attacks the heart is called Broken Heart Syndrome.

What is broken heart syndrome?

Broken heart syndrome (BHS) aka broken heart syndrome or also called Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy is a form of abnormality that occurs in the cardiovascular system (heart). In BHS there is malfunctioning of the heart, namely the ventricles, which is associated with insufficient blood flow through the coronary arteries (the heart vessels that support the heart). This syndrome has many complicated sounding names, among them transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome or stress cardiomyopathy or ampulla cardiomyopathy or neurogenic myocardial stunning.

In 1986, the Massachusetts General Hospital reported a case of heart failure due to severe emotional stress. Starting in 2000, there have been many publications of broken heart syndrome cases from all over the world. In the end, in 2006, stress cardiomyopathy officially classified in groups acquired cardiomyopathies, aka acquired (not inherited) cardiomyopathy. This proves that there are many factors besides coronary heart disease that can cause heart attacks, one of which is psychological problems. A history of severe emotional stress also differentiates BHS from coronary heart disease.

Who can get broken heart syndrome (bhs)?

Broken heart syndrome classified as a psychosomatic disorder that is specific to the cardiovascular system. BHS is found in 86-100% of women aged around 63-67 years. Most cases of BHS experienced by women after menopause. Even so, BHS can attack any age without exception, if there is a history of severe emotional stress and inadequate therapy.

In the United States, BHS affected 4.78% of patients with a clinical picture of STEMI or unstable angina, a picture similar to coronary heart disease. In Indonesia alone, the number of BHS cases is unknown and only limited to case reports.

The trigger factor for broken heart syndrome

BHS is not caused by blockages in the heart arteries. Stressor as the only trigger factor broken heart syndrome and classified into emotional stress and physical stress. At least one type of stress was detected in 98% of sufferers.

Emotional stress

• Accident, death, injury / injury, or serious illness that befell family members, friends, or pets;
• Natural disasters such as trauma after earthquake, tsunami, landslide
• Financial crisis to bankruptcy
• Involved in a legal case
• Move to a new residence
• Public speaking (public speaking)
• Received bad news (diagnosis of the main disease after medical check-up, divorce, family conflicts
• Excessive pressure or workload

Physical stress

• Suicide attempt
• Abuse of illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine
• Non-cardiac procedures or surgeries, such as: cholecystectomy, hysterectomy
• Suffering from a serious and chronic disease that does not go away
• Severe pain, for example due to fractures, renal colic, pneumothorax, pulmonary embolism
• Hyperthyroid disease → thyrotoxicosis

The mechanism of broken heart syndrome

1. Heavy stress can trigger the release of catecholamine hormones into the blood vessels in large quantities. This hormone is toxic in the heart muscle, causing failure of heart muscle contraction.
2. Menopause. The hormone estrogen is cardio-protective. At menopause, there is a decrease in the level of the hormone estrogen in the blood vessels which causes a decrease in the function of cardiac adrenoreceptors. This has an impact on decreasing the activation of the heart muscle. Therefore, most cases are experienced by women who are going through menopause.
3. Excessive sympathetic stimulation as well as abnormal anatomical shape of the coronary arteries causes blood flow to decrease / disappear for a moment.

Symptoms of broken heart syndrome

• Happens quickly after experiencing severe stress.
• Chest pain such as pressure from a large object
• Shortness of breath and sudden shortness of breath
• Arm / back pain
• The throat feels choked
• Irregular pulse and palpitations (palpitations)
• Sudden fainting (syncope)
• Some cases can experience cardiogenic shock (a condition in which the heart cannot pump blood according to the body's needs, resulting in death)

Prevent and treat broken heart syndrome

The main prevention is stress management. A person who is experiencing problems needs to behave and think broadly and comprehensively. Always be wise and look at problems from various points of view and approaches. A balanced lifestyle needs to be done, especially diet, physical activity, and patterns of thinking and behavior.

BHS can heal without leaving permanent defects in the ventricles of the heart, in contrast to coronary heart disease which leaves residues in the structure of the heart. However, in some cases it can lead to fatal conditions or death if patients with BHS do not get immediate help. Doctors usually provide supportive treatment.