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May 26, 2009 1:29 pm US/Central
Patients Really Do Suffer From Broken Hearts
BOSTON (CBS) ―
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After several more tests, doctors determined Carmen was suffering from Tako-Tsubo or what's referred to as Broken Heart syndrome.
WBZ
We know stress can take a toll on one's physical health, but there's an unusual health condition that seems to be solely affected by emotional trauma, CBS station WBZ-TV reported.
"My son called me and told me they had diagnosed him with cancer so that was quite a shock," said Carmen Peed.
It was that shock that sent the 78-year-old to the emergency room in physical pain.
"They checked me for a lot of things but they told my daughter in law that nothing was wrong," said Carmen.
After several more tests, doctors determined Carmen was suffering from Tako-Tsubo or what's referred to as Broken Heart syndrome.
Cardiologist Dr. Charles Russo explains, "Tako-Tsubo actually means octopus trap and the reason why it's called that is because the heart sort of looks like that -- it balloons up at the tip of the heart, and becomes dysfunctional when this happens, very different from what the heart looks like normally."
Dr. Russo says patients often think they're having a heart attack. "You rush them to a catherization lab to open up an artery and you find no blood clot in the artery, no plaque in the artery, everything looks fantastic, but then the whole front tip of the heart isn't moving. It's big and ballooned and baggy and not moving at all."
While rare, this syndrome seems to affect older women in the majority of cases, and studies indicate stress or an emotional trauma sets it into motion. "The trigger seems to be emotion," said Dr. Russo. "It seems to be an adrenaline response or a hyper adrenaline response that causes this condition."
That was certainly the case for Carmen when she learned of her son's illness. She avoids stress now by spending time with her loved ones. "My relaxation is my grandchildren, and my daughter is an angel. "
Experts say when the syndrome is recognized, over 95 percent of patients recover within a few weeks.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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