During my third year of college, a patient came to the General Medicine department with complaints of chest pain and breathlessness.
Our teacher discussed the case with us, and that’s when I came across something I had never heard before - BROKEN HEART SYNDROME, medically known as TAKOTSUBO CARDIOMYOPATHY or STRESS CARDIOMYOPATHY.
It is a temporary heart condition triggered by extreme emotional or physical stress, such as grief, fear, sudden loss or major shock.
Clinically, it can mimic a heart attack, including
- Sudden, severe chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Irregular heartbeat
- Abnormalities in the left ventricle of the heart
But unlike a typical heart attack, Coronary Arteries may not be blocked.
The surprising part?
In most cases, the heart gradually recovers with proper treatment and care.
This case made me realize that sometimes a “Broken Heart” can actually have a real effect on the heart.
Have you come across this term before?
MBH/PS