Join the 'Broken Heart Syndrome' group to help and get support from people like you. How it works
Grief Is a Real Heartbreaker, Study Finds
Posted 9 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Jan. 9 – There really is such a thing as heartbreaking grief, suggests new research that finds losing a loved one can increase the risk of heart attack. Within a day of a significant other's death, heart attack risk was 21 times higher than normal, said researchers who looked at data on nearly 2,000 heart attack patients. And within the first week after death, the heart attack risk for the bereaved was still six times greater than usual. "Extreme grief can trigger heart attacks," said lead researcher Dr. Murray Mittleman, director of the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston. "For at least a month the risk remains elevated and likely stays up even longer," he added. The stress and anxiety of losing someone close can trigger heart-damaging biological processes, Mittleman explained. "All of this can ... Read more
Related support groups: Heart Attack, Myocardial Infarction, Broken Heart Syndrome
Women More Prone to 'Broken Heart' Syndrome: Study
Posted 16 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16 – Broken heart syndrome – a temporary heart condition brought on by extreme physical or emotional stress – occurs overwhelmingly in women compared to men, a new study suggests. Whether preceded by the sudden death of a loved one, a frightening medical diagnosis, a car accident or even a surprise party, the phenomenon is 7.5 times more common in females, and women older than 55 are 2.9 times more likely to develop broken heart syndrome than younger women, the researchers found. "We don't really know what causes it, but it's with people who present with symptoms of a heart attack that often occurs with a very stressful situation," said Dr. Stacey Rosen, associate chair of cardiology at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. "We know women get all forms of heart disease differently than men do. Whether this is an external effect on the heart ... Read more
Related support groups: Broken Heart Syndrome
'Broken Heart Syndrome' May Affect More People Than Thought
Posted 19 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 19 – "Broken heart syndrome" – a temporary form of acute heart failure caused by a sudden weakening of the heart muscle – may affect more people than previously thought, a new study suggests. This condition, also known as "stress cardiomyopathy," usually affects postmenopausal women and is typically triggered by a profoundly stressful event, such as a break-up, domestic abuse or the unexpected death of a loved one. In this study, however, researchers found this condition may also develop in younger people, men and even those who cannot identify an a precipitating stressful event. Researchers analyzed 256 stress cardiomyopathy patients in seven tertiary care centers in both Europe and North America over the course of five years. The vast majority (81 percent) of the study's participants were postmenopausal women; 8 percent were 50 or younger, and men accounted for 11 ... Read more
Related support groups: Broken Heart Syndrome