In this blog post, we’ll briefly explore the condition informally known as “broken heart syndrome.” More importantly, we’ll discuss healthy tools for dealing with the grief, anger, fear and other strong emotions that can induce the condition. We’ll also provide some tips for how healthcare professionals can help their patients cope with heartbreak and loss.
Symptoms Can Mimic a Heart Attack
“Broken heart syndrome” is an informal term for a medical condition formally known by multiple names:
- Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
- Stress-induced cardiomyopathy
- Apical ballooning syndrome
The term myopathy can refer to a variety of diseases or disorders of muscle tissue. In this case, of course, the affected muscle is the heart. The cause of broken heart syndrome can be a burst of extreme emotion or a physically stressful event. While grief is obviously the emotion most closely associated with this condition, fear, anger or intense excitement could also be the trigger. Chronic stress might increase the risk.
In response to a stress trigger, which can include both emotional and physical stress, a person’s nervous system activates stress hormones such as adrenaline. This can cause the heart to stop contracting normally. In addition, the lower part of the heart’s left ventricle can weaken and balloon out. In Japan, where takotsubo cardiomyopathy was first described in 1990, Dr. Hikaru Sato and his colleagues noted a resemblance between the shape of the bulging heart and an octopus trap, or tako-tsubo, inspiring the name.
Symptoms can include:
- Severe chest pain, pressure or heaviness
- Shortness of breath
- Irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations
- Low blood pressure
- Sudden fatigue
- Lightheadedness or fainting
Any person experiencing continued chest pain, an irregular heartbeat or shortness of breath should call 911 or get to a hospital. Because these symptoms are virtually identical to those of a heart attack, it’s important that doctors rule out a myocardial infarction through diagnostic procedures such as an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and blood tests. Unlike in a heart attack, a case of broken heart syndrome usually does not involve blocked arteries or plaque ruptures.
While broken heart syndrome can, in uncommon instances (less than 1% of cases), lead to death, its symptoms most often are temporary. Most individuals recover fully within a few weeks of the event. If the condition does return, it is known as recurrent takotsubo cardiomyopathy — and it most likely merits a more intensive follow-up examination.
Postmenopausal women account for about 90% of the reported cases of stress cardiomyopathy. But men are more than twice as likely to die from it, studies have shown.
How Healthcare Professionals Can Help
So, how can you mend a broken heart? There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for broken heart syndrome, as multiple variables can be involved, including the severity of symptoms and whether the person has low blood pressure or fluid backing up into the lungs.
At the most basic level, a multipronged approach can help 1) manage symptoms, 2) reduce heart strain with the help of medicine, and 3) address the underlying stress. Supportive inpatient cardiac care monitoring by a physician might also be appropriate. While the mortality rate for broken heart syndrome is low, untreated cases can potentially lead to severe complications such as pulmonary edema, or fluid backup in the lungs; low blood pressure; irregular heartbeat; blood clots in the heart; and heart failure.
Specific treatments might include beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics and aspirin. In some cases, physicians might prescribe beta blockers, either alone or in combination with alpha blockers, over a longer term to help prevent recurrence of broken heart syndrome.
Beyond any clinically mandated measures that a healthcare professional might undertake in response to a patient’s heart-related medical event, there are other ways to help support the individual.
In a previous blog post, we shared ways HCPs can help older adults cope with loss, whether it be of a spouse, one’s good health, a home or other possessions, or physical or mental capacity. Those strategies include communication and collaboration among those involved in the individual’s care; empathetic listening; encouraging personalized strategies such as spending time with loved ones, hobbies, mindfulness and physical activity; recommending therapy or counseling; and referral to grief, depression or other support groups.
When addressing broken heart syndrome and related issues, HCPs should:
- Practice empathetic listening. This often means simply listening instead of offering advice or trying to “fix” the situation. Exhibit awareness and understanding of the patient’s grief-related symptoms. Validate their emotions. Do not diminish their feelings.
- Show compassion, acceptance and respect. This means recognizing the individual’s uniqueness and the fact that people respond differently to grief and loss. Avoid judgment and imposing your own opinions on them.
- Encourage patient self-care and self-compassion. They may be neglecting their own physical and emotional needs; they might even blame themselves for whatever happened. Your influence can range from modeling positive attitudes like mindfulness to empowering them to practice daily maintenance such as proper nutrition, exercise and sleep.
- Support the patient’s spiritual explorations. Depending on the individual’s belief system, they might find solace in prayer, worship, meditation or related practices. If you can facilitate these actions or simply offer support, do so.
- Help the patient identify and access appropriate support systems. Counseling, therapy, grief or depression support groups, and networks of friends can be of significant comfort to many grieving people. Referrals to grief specialists may also be useful.
Brookdale Takes Heart Health Seriously
At Brookdale, we are committed to helping our residents keep their hearts as healthy as possible throughout their life journey. Our support includes:
- Tailored nutrition. This includes options for low-sodium meals and heart-healthy cooking techniques.
- Dedicated fitness programs. Our B-Fit program includes diverse exercise classes specially designed for older adults, such as chair yoga, swimming, as available, tai chi and dance.
- Proactive clinical and care coordination. This may include actions such as daily blood pressure and pulse monitoring for residents with heart conditions and on-site visits by physicians and nurse practitioners. Our Brookdale HealthPlus® care coordination, available in select communities, provides RN Care Managers who help support patients with chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, helping to reduce the number of hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to the emergency room.
- A holistic, multidisciplinary approach to residents’ physical, social, spiritual, intellectual and emotional wellness. This includes activities and environments designed to help reduce stress, a major contributor to heart issues. In addition, Brookdale’s EngagementPlus™ and The Ageless Spirit programs help support well-being through social connectedness and spiritual growth.
If you are a healthcare professional with a patient who is seeking a heart-healthy senior living community, we’d love to talk with you.
Learn More
Reach out to find out more about how Brookdale promotes heart-healthy living and emotional well-being.