Anthony was experiencing not just emotional but also physical pain, including symptoms she described as a “repeated punch” in the heart. What Anthony didn’t know at the time was that hearts can actually “break” from emotional stress. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome, was first diagnosed in 1990. Broken heart syndrome is not caused by a blood clot or narrowing of the arteries, but like a traditional heart attack, the long-term consequences can be serious. While broken heart syndrome is rare, affecting an estimated 2 per cent of the population, psychological stresses such as depression, anxiety, social isolation and low socioeconomic status are also risk factors for heart disease.

Source: thestar April 30, 2018 21:00 UTC