Feb. 22, 2022
Too much stress might break your heart
Have you ever gone through a stressful or emotional situation that made your heart actually hurt and you thought maybe your heart broke? In some cases, your heart can break. In the medical world it’s called Broken Heart Syndrome, Stress-induced Cardiomyopathy or Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.
Take advantage of the following programs to help manage stress:
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The symptoms are similar to those of a heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, symptoms occur suddenly after extreme emotional or physical stress. But unlike a heart attack, there’s no evidence of blocked heart arteries in broken heart syndrome.
Symptoms may include:
- Sudden onset of chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations - faster heartbeat
- Nausea/vomiting
In the Latin American culture, this syndrome is called “Susto.” It is described as a condition of "chronic somatic suffering stemming from emotional trauma or from witnessing traumatic experiences lived by others." Susto is classified as a culture-bound syndrome, a symptom that occurs and is recognized within an ethnic group.
Brian Metz, MD, a cardiologist at Colorado Springs Cardiology, was recently interviewed by KRDO-ABC affiliate about how the pandemic is taking a toll on our hearts and he referenced the syndrome.
“According to research, Broken Heart Syndrome dates to 1990, when the Japanese brought out a term Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, where they described a heart having an apical ballooning that looked similar to an octopus trap, or a Takotsubo,” he said.
Dr. Metz said it took time for experts to find out why this syndrome was impacting post-menopausal females. In fact, 90 percent of these cases occur in post-menopausal women.
“Over time, it became clear that this was a catecholamine or adrenaline-based mechanism that was causing this ballooning of the heart, and a presentation very similar to a typical heart attack. Same chest pain, same EKG abnormalities, not as high of the cardiac biomarker elevations on the blood test, but the chest pain syndrome was quite severe,” Dr. Metz said.
He said on heart catheterization results, the heart arteries would look fine or not severely blocked. So, it became clear that something was causing the heart to balloon out, mainly at the tip of the heart. It turns out it's due to a severe catecholamine elevation that usually is a result from severe emotional stress.
Since the syndrome is brought on by severe emotional distress, the reporter asked Dr. Metz if stress from the pandemic over the last two years could play a role in the rise of this condition.
Dr. Metz said, "Yes, definitely. I do think the increased stress caused people to become sick with the virus. The emotions of people unexpectedly dying of the virus, the effect on loved ones in the family, the financial stresses caused by it, I do think it is definitely contributing to an increase in the number of catecholamine or stress-induced cardiomyopathies that we're seeing.”
Treatment for Broken Heart Syndrome is similar to treatment for a heart attack and most people stay in the hospital while they recover. Plus, most people with broken heart syndrome fully recover within a few weeks to a month. Although it’s recommended to get a checkup four to six weeks after full recovery.
More importantly, it’s vital to help individuals deal with the traumatic event that caused the broken heart in the first place. Mental health plays a key role in long-term recovery.
On Feb. 28, we will begin using the 2021 Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation when calculating estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) to assess kidney function. This new equation replaces the prior version which used race as a factor in calculation and perpetuated racial biases. As we close out Black History Month, we are proud to be part of this positive action when it comes to the management of kidney disease for our Black/African American patients.
February is American Heart Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease prevention. Read on to learn how extreme emotional or physical stress can affect your heart health, as well as the support available to you and your family to help manage stress.
Denver7 surprised Kim Christensen, a nurse at Avista Adventist Hospital, with a significant gift thanks to donations from our community. Check out the story and watch Kim’s reaction.
We are excited to announce our continued partnership with Walden University. Together, we are investing in health care through education by providing 30 scholarships—ranging from $5,500 to $15,000 each—to Centura Health associates who enroll in a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral program and start classes between June 1 and Sept. 30 at Walden University.
With the tax deadline just two months away, please take a moment to review the information below about how you can access your W-2 and 1095-C.
The Joint Commission’s survey is a vital part of maintaining our accreditation as a health care provider. Breakfast Briefings is a series of webinars designed to equip our caregivers with the information they need for a successful survey. Click below to learn more about this series, how you can earn CEU for participating, and this week’s topic: Rights & Responsibilities, Transplant Safety and Waived Testing.
