cardiology,

Broken Heart Syndrome

March 23, 2017 Phantasm Darkstar 3 Comment(s)

Did you know that you can really DIE with a BROKEN HEART? I was going through my modules for my anatomy and physiology students when I came across this article. I find it worth sharing.

Heart: Broken Heart Syndrome
Extreme stress from such life events as the death of a loved one, an emotional break up, loss of income, or foreclosure of a home may lead to a condition commonly referred to as broken heart syndrome. This condition may also be called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, transient apical ballooning syndrome, apical ballooning cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy, Gebrochenes-Herz syndrome, and stress cardiomyopathy. The recognized effects on the heart include congestive heart failure due to a profound weakening of the myocardium not related to lack of oxygen. This may lead to acute heart failure, lethal arrhythmias, or even the rupture of a ventricle. The exact etiology is not known, but several factors have been suggested, including transient vasospasm, dysfunction of the cardiac capillaries, or thickening of the myocardium—particularly in the left ventricle—that may lead to the critical circulation of blood to this region. While many patients survive the initial acute event with treatment to restore normal function, there is a strong correlation with death. Careful statistical analysis by the Cass Business School, a prestigious institution located in London, published in 2008, revealed that within one year of the death of a loved one, women are more than twice as likely to die and males are six times as likely to die as would otherwise be expected.

Disclaimer: Photo credits to the owner. Photos found through Google images.
Article Reference: http://philschatz.com/anatomy-book/contents/m46672.html

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