Have you ever heard of something called “Broken Heart Syndrome”? It might sound like a made-up term, but it is a real medical condition. The American Heart Association recently confirmed that broken heart syndrome is not just emotional. It can also affect your physical health, and for some people, it can be deadly.
Broken heart syndrome is a condition that causes the heart to act like it is having a heart attack. It is usually brought on by extreme stress, either emotional or physical. Things like a painful breakup, losing a loved one, or a serious accident can trigger it.
While women are more likely to be diagnosed with the condition, studies show that men are more than twice as likely to die from it. Between 2016 and 2020, researchers looked at hospital records from over 200,000 adults in the U.S. They found that men who experienced broken heart syndrome were much more likely to have worse outcomes.
Doctors believe part of the reason could be that men are less likely to talk about stress or seek help when they are feeling overwhelmed.