Men are twice as likely to die from ‘broken heart syndrome’ as women, according to a new study.
Known medically as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, the syndrome is typically triggered by intense physical or emotional stress. It mimics a heart attack and disrupts its ability to contract normally. It causes symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and, often, irregular heartbeats. While most individuals recover swiftly, a small number may experience heart failure.
The study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that the mortality rate for men from broken heart syndrome stood at 11.2%, while 5.5% of women diagnosed with the condition died. Researchers found that the overall death rate from the condition remained high at 6.5%.
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The study analysed health records of nearly 2,00,000 US adults from 2016 to 2020. According to the findings, 6.6% people with broken heart syndrome died of cardiogenic shock, 35.9% died of congestive heart failure, 20.7% died from atrial fibrillation, 5.3% died from a stroke and 3.4% died of cardiac arrest.
“Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a serious condition with a substantial risk of death and severe complications,” study author Dr. Mohammad Reza Movahed, an interventional cardiologist and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center, said in a news release.
Dr. Mohaved also stated that men may have a more difficult time recovering from broken heart syndrome because they tend to receive less social support, which can help them manage stress, according to NBC.
