Medical Minute: Broken Heart Syndrome

Valentine’s Day can be a day of both and joy and broken hearts, but doctors say that a broken heart can manifest itself in physical symptoms that can be alarming.

OhioHealth interventional cardiologist Kevin Stivers, MD, talks in this Medical Minute about a condition called broken heart syndrome that produces symptoms eerily similar to a heart attack.

People affected by broken heart syndrome may experience shortness of breath and chest pain in response to extreme emotional stress caused often by significant events such as the loss of a loved one or a major life change.

While rare, Dr. Stivers shares that broken heart syndrome, also called Takotusubo cardiomyopathy, should be taken seriously to ensure symptomatic individuals do not have blocked coronary arteries. Once diagnosed with this condition, people usually make a fast and full recovery.

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