When people talk about “broken hearts” they’re usually either being metaphorical, or they mean something that’s troubling, maybe deeply so. But now experts know that long-term stress of various kinds can create a physical problem.
Technically, it’s known as stress cardiomyopathy (car-dee-o-my-OP-a-thee). As its name implies, it impacts the heart by putting some kind of regular strain on it. Because the strain is often caused by emotions, it came to be called, in laymen’s terms, “broken heart syndrome.”
The Physical Impact of Heart Stressors
Physical health problems can cause different types of long-term stress. For example, the breathing problem called chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, puts a definite physical strain on the heart.
A less obvious type of long-term stress is the one caused by living with chronic pain. Consider these statistics:
- Chronic pain is believed to affect at least a quarter of Canadian seniors
- 50 million Americans age 50 and older suffer from chronic pain
All of these people—and others—are prime candidates for stress cardiomyopathy, which surfaces in about 15 to 20% of cases of long-term stress.
When Hearts Truly Ache
Ongoing emotional trauma is apparently even more of a factor than physical issues in inciting stress cardiomyopathy. That stress could be related to bereavement, one that the older adult can’t overcome. Other causes are long-term fear or anger.
Consider the fear massive layoffs have had. People wondering daily, will they find another job? Will they lose their home? How will they pay for health needs? What if there’s an emergency?
Others are simply coping with more common financial worries. How are they going to pay for retirement, or care for aging parents?
A sudden shock can sometimes be the stressor. One doctor reported the syndrome appearing in a grandmother stunned by her surprise birthday party.
Because of its strong tie to emotional traumas, stress cardiomyopathy is more commonly known as “broken heart syndrome.” No one knows why, but women, especially older women, are prone to this disorder. The average age is in the mid-60s.
What is Happening to Your Heart?
In a heart attack, there is a death of heart cells. Even if it’s only a small portion, it still causes permanent damage to your heart muscle. That means six months later you still have a sick heart muscle.
But in broken heart syndrome the cells are only stunned. Initially—the first 24-48 hours after the shock—the muscle looks atrocious. In fact, if you saw a picture you might think you needed a heart transplant. It can even lead to serious problems, like low blood pressure.
That’s only temporary though. If you get proper care the muscle wakes up and returns to normal.