February is the month when all things heart related are recognized or celebrated. It’s American Heart Month and National Heart Disease Awareness Month; there are days and weeks calling out congenital heart defects and heart valve disease. We also celebrate the romantic idea of love coming from the heart – Valentine’s Day.

There is one condition where a true medical heart condition and that romanticizing of the heart sort of meet: it is called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken-heart syndrome. It is when the heart muscle becomes suddenly weakened, most often after a severe stressful event. Discovered in 1990 by Japanese physicians, it is reversible and usually lasts only a month. It occurs almost all of the time in women (about 90% of all cases) and most commonly between the ages 58- 75 years. It was thought to be rare, but recent research shows that it is more common and can happen to a person more than once. Symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath soon after physical or emotional stress.

Unfortunately, the cause of broken-heart syndrome is not known. Because it’s associated with extreme stress, it is thought that hormones released during stressful events stun the heart. This leaves the left ventricle of the heart, the chamber that pumps blood to the body, weak and it starts to fail. It does not squeeze as hard as it should. Sometimes it is misdiagnosed as a heart attack.

Some possible events that can trigger takotsubo cardiomyopathy include: 

• Receiving bad news, such as a personal cancer diagnosis 
• Experiencing a loss, injury, or illness of a friend or relative or pet 
• Intense arguing 
• Financial stress 
• Domestic violence 

I wanted to call attention to takotsubo cardiomyopathy because it is on the rise since the pandemic. Also, it is affecting younger women. They have experienced losing their job, social isolation, severe financial stress, severe illness themselves, or the loss of family members and friends. If you are feeling sick with shortness of breath or chest pain, you should get things checked out. If you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed, you should seek help from a mental health professional. This may help you cope with the pressure that comes with the stress. Find more information here: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/broken-heart-syndrome