Heartbreak is the subject of sad songs, poetry and even art, but the truth is a heart can actually break and result in what can be a life-threatening condition.
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, also known as broken heart syndrome, is often preceded by a traumatic experience like the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, a divorce, an intense argument, losing or winning money, or a big surprise. The cause of the condition isn't fully understood but researchers think it can be brought on by a release of stress hormones in the body, that a surge of hormones such as adrenaline may temporarily damage the heart and cause constriction of the large or small arteries. Structural differences in the heart can also be a cause of the condition.
It is often mistaken for a heart attack because its most common symptoms are chest pain, irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. Risk factors for Broken Heart Syndrome include being female, being 50 and older, or a history of neurological conditions.
Michele Fannin, 60, had never heard of broken heart syndrome until she experienced it herself in October 2019 while enjoying a restful vacation sightseeing in New Mexico with friends. They were on the road headed from New Mexico into Texas when she began having symptoms that were very concerning. Her chest was hurting, she was nauseous and sweating heavily - all classic signs of a heart attack, so her friends rushed her to the nearest hospital.
Because physicians thought she was having a heart attack, they transported Michele to a larger hospital. She was taken by ambulance to Amarillo, Texas, where doctors performed a cardiac catheterization, commonly called a 'heart cath.' It's a procedure used to diagnose issues within the heart, including narrowing of the blood vessels or blockages, the heart's pumping function or problems with the heart valve.
While performing a heart cath doctors can also place a stent in the heart to open blockages and prevent damage to the heart muscle.
During Michele's heart cath, doctors discovered something unusual. Michele had no blockages or any other signs of a heart attack.
"They were very surprised," she said. "I hadn't had a heart attack and I didn't have any blockages."
Next Michele underwent an echocardiogram, a test that uses electrodes to check a heart's rhythm and ultrasound technology to see how blood moves through the heart. It's used to help doctors diagnose heart conditions.
"When they did the echo on me, that's when they told me I had broken heart syndrome," she said. "Finding out I hadn't had a heart attack was good news. It was wonderful news because I didn't have any heart damage. They let me go home the next day. I came home and went to a cardiologist the next week. Now I'm completely well."
Michele said her situation didn't really fit the bill for any of the common things that usually bring on Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Though she'd lost her husband two years prior, she was dealing with it and she doesn't believe that was the cause of her condition. The most stressful thing she had going on was remodeling her house. But she doesn't attribute her occurrence of broken heart syndrome to that either. Like it is for many others who experience it, the reasons it happened aren't clear.
"My vacation was nothing out of the ordinary. We'd been up to the ski resorts. We were just driving around sightseeing," she said. "Nothing I did was overly physically active. We were just walking and I've always been a walker. What we were doing wasn't hard on me."
Michele previously had heart catherization at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System that was clear and no stents were needed, so it would not have indicated this, said Francine Francis, St. Michael communications director.
Michele now is a Texarkana Cardiology Associates patient.
She was fortunate. She has no lasting effects from her incident. Most people who experience Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy have a full recovery within a few days to a week of onset, but not everyone is so fortunate. Broken heart syndrome can result in complications such as pulmonary edema, low blood pressure, heart failure, disruptions in a person's heartbeat and, in rare cases, even death. People who've experienced the condition aren't at high risk for it happening again.
According to the American Heart Association, there are some scientific measurements to differentiate between a heart attack and broken heart syndrome. Those include:
EKG results for Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy don't look the same as the EKG results for a person having a heart attack.
Blood tests show no signs of heart damage when symptoms are caused by TC.
Tests will show no sign of blockages in the coronary arteries.
Tests show ballooning and unusual movement of the lower left heart chamber (left ventricle).
Recovery time is quick for TC - usually within days or weeks compared with the recovery time of a month or more for a heart attack.