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Updated October 18th, 2021 at 22:21 IST

Broken Heart Syndrome: Women more likely to fall prey, claims new US study

The broken heart syndrome is generally identified in people who show a swollen left ventricle of their heart when they undergo cardiac imaging.

Reported by: Harsh Vardhan
Broken Heart Syndrome
Image: Unsplash | Image:self
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A broken heart might sound dramatic, but scientists have issued a warning against a syndrome regarding the same that is on the rise since way before even the pandemic. Published in the journal of the American Heart Association, the study revealed that the broken heart syndrome also called 'Takotsubo' is majorly targeting women from middle ages and older ones, reported The Science Times. Despite the surging cases of broken heart syndrome, health experts are still clueless about its cause and potential treatment.

What is broken heart syndrome?

The broken heart syndrome is generally identified among people who show a swollen left ventricle of their heart when they undergo cardiac imaging. Those affected by this syndrome may experience heart attack-like symptoms including chest pain and difficulty in breathing but that has nothing to do with issues such as a blocked artery.

A report by Jerusalem Post revealed that this deformity of the heart was first described in Japan and the word 'Takotsubo' is derived from a pot that was used to store octopuses and resembled a swollen heart. Citing senior study author Dr Susan Cheng, The Science Times reported that this condition shows how the nervous system and brain respond to different stressors, which are likely to cause more harm just after midlife.

Women more susceptible to the syndrome than men 

Titled "Sex‐ and Age‐Based Temporal Trends in Takotsubo Syndrome Incidence in the United States", the study noted that women between the ages of 50-75 are more likely to get diagnosed with the syndrome than any other age group. Although the other age groups themselves are not safe as women as a whole are more prone to broken heart syndrome than men.

As per Jerusalem Post, the study experts examined over 130,000 cases of the syndrome and found that 88% of cases were documented among women. To make matters worse, an annual increase in the cases was also recorded with 128 in middle-aged women, 96 among older women and 15 cases among younger women every million.

In contrast, a surge in Broken Heart Syndrome among men was also reported but it was significantly less than the numbers among men. Weighing on the increment, the study suspects that women became more vulnerable to the syndrome as a result of increased stressors and challenges during the pandemic.

Image: Unsplash

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Published October 18th, 2021 at 22:21 IST

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