Written by Rupert Shepherd
Source / Courtesy: Medical News Today

It was the Japanese who first identified the problem in the 1990s, showing that a sudden shock or emotional stress can cause the heart to begin behaving as though it’s had a heart attack, even though there is usually no permanent damage. Now researchers at the University of Arkansas have identified that Broken Heart Syndrome is more common in women than in men.

Basically, what causes Broken Heart Syndrome is a sudden rush of hormones and adrenaline, usually from an emotionally linked event. Parts of the heart then enlarge temporarily, causing symptoms much akin to a heart attack, only without the normal physical factors such as blocked arteries and muscle damage in a clinical heart attack.

Broken Heart Syndrome can be caused by both negative or positive events, anything from winning the lottery to a car accident or sudden death of a loved one, have been shown to set it off.

The new research shows women as much as seven times more likely to be affected and older women are at greater risk than younger ones. The researchers presented the information Wednesday at the American Heart Association conference in Orlando, Florida.

“One theory is that hormones play a role. Another is that men have more adrenaline receptors on cells in their hearts than women do, so may be men are able to handle stress better” and the chemical surge it releases.