20/20 Thursday night - broken heart syndrome

[fire911medic]

Did anyone happen to see what is now called "broken heart syndrome"? Evidently there is quite similar reactions from the heart in that and during actual cardiac related events. THey stated there was EKG changes, showed the cardiomyopathy with the use of an ultrasound, and presents with the same symptoms as an MI. Only difference is this is actually emotional related, and tied to a significant factor in one's life and may be a recurring thing yearly on or around that date. Also, the heart recovers from the "damage" it receives, whereas after an MI it does not. It can return to nearly normal function within less than a week. Amazing - anyone else know anything on this, any good links?

[hammerpcp]

I have heard of and seen "holiday heart", but not "broken heart" syndrome. Stress is a lot more powerful in our physical reactions to it then we often give it credit for. With this in mind I am still skeptical.

[Jess]

I happend to see that episode of 20/20! that was very fascinating to see. I didn't realize stress could do as much as it does! I didn't really pay a whole lot of attention to the episode because i was multitasking at the time, on the phone, comp and an ear and eye on the tv lol! but i did see the thing on the sexual arousal disease. that was flippin weird!

[AZCEP]

Reminds me of a line I heard once, "The doctor told me she died of a ruptured ventricular septum, but I know she died of a broken heart."

[itku2er]

Reminds me of a line I heard once, "The doctor told me she died of a ruptured ventricular septum, but I know she died of a broken heart."

I Believe in it.....alot of people that have been with a loved one for years die soon after their partner dies or leaves....its called greiving yourself to death.......emotions and stress can be very bad for our health...I believe that people can die from a broken heart.......just my 2 cents worth......

[SA_Medic]

I Believe in it.....alot of people that have been with a loved one for years die soon after their partner dies or leaves....its called greiving yourself to death.......emotions and stress can be very bad for our health...I believe that people can die from a broken heart.......just my 2 cents worth......

I am with you on this one Terri, I saw it in the life of a friend of mine. His grandparents were married for over 40 or something like that years. The grandfather died of a massive MI, the grand mother, a very healthy person, died six months later. Her health just went down the drain after the funeral.

Sad to see, but you have admire it. Loving someone so much that you can not exist without him or her.

Regards

S

[Arachne]

John's Hopkins Univeristy did a study related to this. I no longer have access to PubMed, so I can't get the full article, but the abstract is below. It was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 352:539-548, Feb 10, 2005. It stops short of explaining death from a "broken heart", but addresses MI-like symptoms following a major emotional upset.

The university website press release about the study: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_relea...5/02_10_05.html

Neurohumoral Features of Myocardial Stunning Due to Sudden Emotional Stress

Ilan S. Wittstein, M.D., David R. Thiemann, M.D., Joao A.C. Lima, M.D., Kenneth L. Baughman, M.D., Steven P. Schulman, M.D., Gary Gerstenblith, M.D., Katherine C. Wu, M.D., Jeffrey J. Rade, M.D., Trinity J. Bivalacqua, M.D., Ph.D., and Hunter C. Champion, M.D., Ph.D.

Background: Reversible left ventricular dysfunction precipitated by emotional stress has been reported, but the mechanism remains unknown.

Methods: We evaluated 19 patients who presented with left ventricular dysfunction after sudden emotional stress. All patients underwent coronary angiography and serial echocardiography; five underwent endomyocardial biopsy. Plasma catecholamine levels in 13 patients with stress-related myocardial dysfunction were compared with those in 7 patients with Killip class III myocardial infarction.

Results: The median age of patients with stress-induced cardiomyopathy was 63 years, and 95 percent were women. Clinical presentations included chest pain, pulmonary edema, and cardiogenic shock. Diffuse T-wave inversion and a prolonged QT interval occurred in most patients. Seventeen patients had mildly elevated serum troponin I levels, but only 1 of 19 had angiographic evidence of clinically significant coronary disease. Severe left ventricular dysfunction was present on admission (median ejection fraction, 0.20; interquartile range, 0.15 to 0.30) and rapidly resolved in all patients (ejection fraction at two to four weeks, 0.60; interquartile range, 0.55 to 0.65; P<0.001). Endomyocardial biopsy showed mononuclear infiltrates and contraction-band necrosis. Plasma catecholamine levels at presentation were markedly higher among patients with stress-induced cardiomyopathy than among those with Killip class III myocardial infarction (median epinephrine level, 1264 pg per milliliter [interquartile range, 916 to 1374] vs. 376 pg per milliliter [interquartile range, 275 to 476]; norepinephrine level, 2284 pg per milliliter [interquartile range, 1709 to 2910] vs. 1100 pg per milliliter [interquartile range, 914 to 1320]; and dopamine level, 111 pg per milliliter [interquartile range, 106 to 146] vs. 61 pg per milliliter [interquartile range, 46 to 77]; P<0.005 for all comparisons).

Conclusions: Emotional stress can precipitate severe, reversible left ventricular dysfunction in patients without coronary disease. Exaggerated sympathetic stimulation is probably central to the cause of this syndrome.

[itku2er]

I am with you on this one Terri, I saw it in the life of a friend of mine. His grandparents were married for over 40 or something like that years. The grandfather died of a massive MI, the grand mother, a very healthy person, died six months later. Her health just went down the drain after the funeral.

Sad to see, but you have admire it. Loving someone so much that you can not exist without him or her.

Regards

S

A thing that dont exist anymore.........now love is just a thing that is convient.....i dont think that true love exist anymore .......

but good story though

Terri

[SA_Medic]

Yes my Dear,

You might be right and I might just be a fool with old school believes. I firmly believe that out there somewhere is the true love of every person. In a local SA language we have a saying, I will translate directly:

Every pot has a lid

I tend to believe it, if you do not search for that person, that half that will make you whole. You might be destined to loneliness and more than one unhappy relationship. There are (according to me) far to many people in this world that just get married for the sake marriage, or for fear of being alone. That I do not agree with.

True and unconditional love is something to strive towards in life, it is the one thing that will make it complete and dare I say a perfect little piece of heaven on earth.

But as I say, it is just my view of the situation......

Regards

S

[itku2er]

Yes my Dear,

You might be right and I might just be a fool with old school believes. I firmly believe that out there somewhere is the true love of every person. In a local SA language we have a saying, I will translate directly:

Every pot has a lid

I tend to believe it, if you do not search for that person, that half that will make you whole. You might be destined to loneliness and more than one unhappy relationship. There are (according to me) far to many people in this world that just get married for the sake marriage, or for fear of being alone. That I do not agree with.

True and unconditional love is something to strive towards in life, it is the one thing that will make it complete and dare I say a perfect little piece of heaven on earth.

But as I say, it is just my view of the situation......

Regards

S

we can only hope to find that one [-o<