Broken heart syndrome causes men to die quicker than women
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“Don’t go breaking my heart.”

When a loved one passes on and your heart aches — there’s a name for that, and apparently, men are more likely to die from it.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is the medical term for “broken heart syndrome,” a condition in which stress hormones such as adrenaline hinder the normal contraction of the heart.

It’s a serious condition brought on by very stressful situations and extreme emotions that doctors don’t take lightly.

Although the syndrome is more commonly diagnosed in women, men have a higher mortality rate from it, as revealed by a recent study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

The study highlights an intriguing observation that broken heart syndrome is typically brought on by emotional stress in women and physical stress in men.

To come to this conclusion, researchers observed almost 2,000 patients older than 18-years-old diagnosed with the condition from 2016 to 2020.

The study found that the mortality rate of brokenhearted men was a staggering 11.2% compared to only 5.5% of the female patients.

Researchers reportedly concluded that those who died most likely suffered complications from the condition, like irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure and stroke.


sad man
The study found that the mortality rate of brokenhearted men was a staggering 11.2% compared to only 5.5% of the female patients. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – stock.adobe.com

“Men may be more at risk for dying and having bad outcomes because they’re less susceptible to begin with,” Dr. Ilan Wittstein, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told NBC News.

“So it takes a more dangerous trigger to precipitate the syndrome.”

It’s important to keep in mind that just because you’re feeling blue over something doesn’t necessarily mean you have the condition.

According to Wittstein, those with underlying health issues, especially relating to the heart — like high blood pressure or high cholesterol — are more susceptible to takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

And unfortunately, there isn’t any treatment or medication for it.

In certain situations, doctors will prescribe patients medicine used to treat other heart conditions, but that’s on a case-by-case basis.

When it comes down to it, experts advise people to seek medical attention if they’re feeling unusual chest pains or symptoms — and to manage stress levels, which can be challenging in this day and age.


heart
According to Wittstein, those with underlying health issues, especially relating to the heart — like high blood pressure or high cholesterol — are more susceptible to takotsubo cardiomyopathy. lovelyday12 – stock.adobe.com

“As we advance in age and take on more life and work responsibilities, we experience higher stress levels,” Dr. Susan Cheng told American Heart Association News.

“And with increasing digitization around every aspect of our lives, environmental stressors have also intensified.”

Aside from lowering stress levels, getting sufficient sleep is another way people can lower their risk of developing heart-related issues, according to another study.

“With this study, we have improved our understanding of what role the amount of sleep we get plays in cardiovascular health,” Cedernaes said.

“It’s important to point out that studies have also shown that physical exercise can offset at least some of the negative effects that poor sleep can cause,” he added. “But it’s also important to note that exercise cannot replace the essential functions of sleep.”

It’s recommended for adults to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night — so there’s another reason why you should put away your phone to get a good night’s snooze.

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