MIAMI (WTXL) - Can you die of a broken heart? Yes.
" ... But, fortunately, death is very rare," says Dr. Jonathan Fialkow, a cardiologist and assistant professor at the Florida International University College of Medicine.
The broken heart syndrome, also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, can mimic a classic heart attack - shortness of breath and chest pain, according to an FIU News article, "Can you die of a broken heart?"
Fialkow says the exact cause of the syndrome is unknown but factors include adrenaline and other hormones associated with stress. More than 90 percent of those afflicted are post-menopausal women.
Fialkow says speculation is the syndrome may be due to a lack of estrogen protection.
Often the stress is the result of an emotional loss.
"We see it when there’s been a real heartache," says Dr. Eugenio Rothe, an FIU professor of psychiatry. "It could be the loss of a business, the loss of a dream, a job, a relationship, the loss of a loved one."
The article said most people recover from broken heart syndrome after treatment with heart medications.
