It has always been said that someone may die of a broken heart, but science has proven that it is nothing but a myth.
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, also known as broken heart syndrome, is a condition of the heart where the pumping ability is affected. It was first discovered by Japanese researchers 20 years ago, but has been the focus of Westerners attention recently. The patient who has this condition will most likely have a "heart attack" like symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath. However, this is less likely to cause death to patients.
TTC is commonly connected with abnormal contraction of the left ventricle which is the heart's main pumping chamber; however it is not caused by a blockage in the coronary arteries. This condition has a lot of people researching about it globally, but as of now, most experts in the scientific community agree that stress hormones like adrenalin is partly to be blamed.
In most cases, TTC usually comes after a severe psychological or physical stress. The first condition was reported to be with a woman who had gone through a traumatic emotional event like a death of a spouse. Thus, the name "broken heart syndrome."
The stressors associated with this condition vary from what may seem to be very petty events to extremely life-changing events. The most common psychological stressor is the death of a spouse or other significant family member. Other stressors may be psychiatric illness, loss of property, anniversary of a loved one's death and social or environmental events such as war, and natural calamities.
Research finds that TTC appears to affect postmenopausal women more often. There are approximately 90% reported cases in women between the ages 65-70 years old. Recently, since this condition has been widely recognized, more and more cases are reported involving other groups, including younger women, men, as well as children.
Until now, it is still unclear why women are easily affected by this condition, or why some people develop this when they have only undergone a lighter stressor than others.
The answer may be in the way we cope with our stressors. Some of us have less psychological flexibility to handle stress. As a matter of fact, it may also be from physical factor in other people, such as their body's lack of ability to handle large amounts of stress hormones.
