TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Being heartbroken and overly joyful turn out can equally cause health effects as it is often known as happy heart syndrome. This is related to takotsubo cardiomyopathy or cardiomyopathy, which is a condition where sudden stress causes damage to the left ventricle, sparking a sensation of pain that causes symptoms similar to a heart attack. This is commonly known as broken heart syndrome.

Researchers were first aware of this in Japan back in 1990 and the first reported case emerged in the United States in 1998, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

This syndrome is said to cause the left ventricle of the heart to bulge into a balloon shape so that it takes the shape of the Japanese fisherman's takotsubo pot, which is used to trap the octopus and gives it its name.

Just as takotsubo cardiomyopathy can occur due to extreme sadness, scientists have found it can also be triggered by sudden excessive joyfulness. A team of German researchers has found a small group of patients have takotsubo syndrome triggered by happy life events.

A study involving 910 patients with takotsubo syndrome found that 37 people had happy heart syndrome and 873 had broken heart syndrome. As per research, happy heart syndrome is mostly observed in men compared to broken heart syndrome which is prevalent among women. There were no significant differences in overall outcomes between people with happy and broken heart syndrome, the scientists revealed.

Uncertainty and sudden conditions are what make it lethal. However, it is important to note that death from broken heart syndrome or happy heart syndrome is very rare. This usually occurs after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one, natural disaster, or physical stress.

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According to the AHA, in 85 percent of cases, takotsubo is triggered by an emotional or physically stressful event that precedes the onset of symptoms by minutes to hours.

Triggers for emotional stress include sadness (death of a loved one), fear (armed robbery, public speaking), anger (fighting with a partner), relationship conflict (divorce), and financial problems (losing a gamble, losing a job). Triggers of physical stress consist of acute asthma, surgery, chemotherapy, and stroke.

It can be difficult to self-diagnose takotsubo cardiomyopathy or distinguish it from a heart attack. However, there may be certain differences. Unlike a heart attack, takotsubo syndrome cannot be caused by underlying heart disease.

On examination, people with a broken heart or happy heart syndrome do not show the typical signs of a heart attack and often have no heart disease at all. In addition, recovery from this syndrome can be fast, unlike recovery from a heart attack which can be long and intense.

While a heart attack has a very high chance of recurrence, takotsubo cardiomyopathy is said to have a relatively low recurrence rate of 2-4 percent per year. This condition is also temporary and settles on its own.

Certain tests can determine and diagnose this health condition, which includes an EKG, which looks at the electrical activity of the heart, blood tests, an angiogram, an echocardiogram, and an MRI scan of the heart. People can also watch for signs, such as irregular heartbeat, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and stroke-like symptoms. However, people may confuse these signs with a heart attack as well. It is important to consider all risk factors and avoid intense stress.

ANTARA

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