What to know

Broken Heart Syndrome is as Severe as a Heart Attack

Study finds Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome, as damaging as a heart attack

Yes, you could die from a broken heart, says a study that compares the damage to that of a heart attack.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy , or a “broken heart syndrome” as it is known, causes emotional stress so severe it could lead to the same long-term damage as a heart attack, a new study finds.

The condition is usually triggered by traumatic events, such as the passing or loss of a loved one.

When under broken heart syndrome, the heart muscle weakens to a point if can’t function as it should. And while specialists previously believed that the damage was temporary, scientists at the University of Aberdeen have found it to be more permanent, like that of a heart attack.

37 takostubo patients were monitored over the period of two years using ultrasound and MRI scans for the study, which was funded by the British Heart Foundation.

Their results found that the patients’ heart’s’ muscle tissue had reduced elasticity and would contract fully with every heartbeat. It also found the damage permanent and untreatable,

At this point, doctors will have to find a cure or treatment to a broken heart, because now we know that time doesn’t heal all wounds.

You Might Also Like