5 Keys To Prevent Broken Heart Syndrome

Do you want to know how to prevent broken heart syndrome? It is a heart disease with the same symptoms as a heart attack. However, it affects women more and its mortality rate is low.

It usually arises from a stressful situation or a high intensity emotional impact. In this sense, people who suffer from it are sure that they are having a heart attack. However, by the time the relevant tests are performed, it is discovered that the heart has been deformed; producing a slight contraction of the left ventricle that gives the heart a cone shape.

To know its symptoms in depth and, in turn, learn how to prevent this type of heart disease; keep reading.

What is broken heart syndrome?

Broken heart syndrome is a type of cardiomyopathy that was described just over twenty years ago.

As explained in the following article published by the Journal of Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine , the first time was in Japan in the 1990s and, seeing the cone shape it acquired, doctors recalled the vessels used by Japanese fishermen to hunt octopus . Hence the name: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

However, the fact that it has appeared so recently in medical journals does not mean that it did not exist before. What happened is that, having the same symptoms as a heart attack, it was labeled as a threat or a simple warning. But since they started doing more diagnostic tests, they saw that it was something different.

The specialized journal The New England Journal of Medicine  published an interesting study in 2015 explaining the basic characteristics of broken heart syndrome. In this sense, it is essential to understand that it is not a heart failure.

In fact, people who suffer from it are usually discharged after a week ; without really knowing what happened to them.

• They have had the same symptoms as a heart attack. However, at no time has a blood clot appeared blocking the artery.
• It is a temporary disorder. When a person suffers an emotional impact on their body, they release more hormones (including adrenaline). But an increase in adrenaline affects the heart muscle, not the coronary arteries themselves.
• Likewise, the left ventricle acquires a conical shape for a limited time as a consequence of this alteration.
• What the person who suffers then feels is strong pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, cold sweats and chest pain.

Ways to prevent broken heart syndrome

As has been well pointed out, this heart disease mainly affects women.

Dr. Ilan Shor Wittstein of John Hopkins University in Baltimore (United States) is one of the leading experts on this heart disorder. According to their research, it is women with menopause who have a higher risk  of suffering from the syndrome.

This increase in adrenaline and noradrenaline in the blood after an emotional impact would be “toxic” to the heart. Something that is seen more frequently in the female gender.

What these catecholamines (hormones in the bloodstream) do is attack the heart muscle temporarily, but not the cells. So, to avoid this situation, it is important to consider the following tips.

1. After menopause, learn to manage stress

The hormones, throughout the fertile cycle, allowed greater resistance to a situation of stress or anxiety. However, when menopause arrives, this changes and new strategies must be started.

Bad news or disappointment affects negatively. Now, it is possible to ‘ train’ the mind and body so that any imbalance in the environment does not ‘break’ you  in such an excessive way.

• Practice yoga or  mindfulness .
• Spend two hours a day for yourself. Walk, meditate, manage problems so they don’t turn into a mountain.

2. Half an hour of exercise a day

Feel free to go for a walk, dance, or swim. The purpose is to make the heart muscle stronger and more resistant. And for this, the ideal is to practice a little aerobic exercise. 

3. Support groups: the importance of cohesion and emotional relief

Good friendships are a true gift to the heart. It is important to have someone with whom to open up, with whom to have a cathartic relief that allows so many tensions to be released.

Knowing that everyone is understood, supported, loved, and listened to is vital on a day-to-day basis.

4. Good nutrition, good lifestyle habits

With regard to broken heart syndrome, the emotional plane and the proper management of tensions are key pieces that must be controlled. However, to ensure that the heart recovers as soon as possible, you must invest in its well-being.

Make sure to eat fresh fruit and vegetables. In particular, it incorporates foods of red, purple or orange tones; They are the ones that provide the greatest amount of antioxidants to take care of the heart.

5. Make yourself a priority: carry out periodic check-ups

If you don’t take care of yourself, you could have health problems tomorrow. Therefore, do not hesitate to establish continuous checks. It takes care of the cholesterol level, blood pressure, weight, sugar level, etc.

All of these are vital indicators of heart health. Prioritize yourself, take life at a different pace ; that which is in tune with the heart in the best way.

The importance of preventing broken heart syndrome early

You have already read it, make sure you take care of yourself both outside and inside to avoid complications in the future. Both mental and physical health play critical roles in overall well-being.

As an article published in 2016 by the Journal of Radiology Nursing explains , prevention is the key to controlling the problem. But, if you have any of these symptoms, do not hesitate to go to a specialist. And you? Do you dare to start today?