Broken heart syndrome

1. Broken Heart Syndrome
Prepared by :
Raveen Ismael Abdullah
MSc student
Hawler Medical University
College of Nursing
2016_2017

2. Broken Heart Syndrome

3. Outline
• Introduction
• Sign and Symptoms
• The difference between Heart attack and
Broken Heart Syndrome
• Reasons behind broken heart syndrome
• Diagnosing the syndrome
• Treatment
• Complications

4. Objectives
At end of the presentation the students will be
able to :
• Differentiate between heart attack and broken
heart syndrome .
• Define broken heart syndrome .
• Identify the main causes and symptoms .
• Identify treatment methods .
• Identify the complications .

5. Heart
• Is a muscular pump made up of four chambers.
• The two upper chambers are called atria.
• The two lower chambers are called ventricles.
• A natural electrical system causes the heart muscle to
contract.
• This pumps blood through the heart to the lungs and the
rest of the body.

7. • Is a temporary heart condition that's often brought on
by stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one.
• Sudden temporary weakening of the muscular portion of
the heart.
• The left ventricle, one of the heart’s chambers, changes
shape and enlarges.
• This means this part of the heart doesn’t pump well.
Broken Heart Syndrome

8. Broken Heart Syndrome
• The disorder was first identified in Japan 1990 .
• The condition can develop at any age, but typically
affects more women than men.
• The good news is that often the condition is
temporary and reversible.
• Named after Takot-subo octopus trap because of its
similar shape .

9. Broken Heart Syndrome
Takotsubo: Narrow neck and a round bottom.

10. X-ray

11. Sign and Symptoms
• Chest pain and shortness of breath.
o Patient will experience these things even if he/she
have no history of heart disease.

12. • Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) or
cardiogenic shock also may occur with broken
heart syndrome.
o Cardiogenic shock is a condition in which a
suddenly weakened heart can’t pump
enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
Sign and Symptoms

13. Diagnosis
• ECG
• Blood Test
• Angiogram a test that looks inside the
coronary arteries of your heart to see if there
are any blockages.
• Echocardiogram
• Cardiac magnetic resonance (MRI) scan
• Chest X-ray

15. The difference between Heart attack and
Broken Heart Syndrome
• ECG results don’t look the same as the ECG results
for a person having a heart attack.
• Blood tests show no signs of heart damage.
• Tests show no signs of blockages in the coronary
arteries.

16. • Tests show ballooning and unusual movement of
the lower left heart chamber (left ventricle).
• Recovery time is quick, usually within days or weeks
(compared with the recovery time of a month or
more for a heart attack).
The difference between Heart attack and
Broken Heart Syndrome

17. Causes
• Unknown causes.
• About 75 per cent of people diagnosed with
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy have recently
experienced either a significant emotional
experience or physical stress.

18. • News of an unexpected death of a loved one
• A frightening medical diagnosis
• Domestic abuse.
• Natural disasters,Job loss and Divorce.
• Physical stressors, such as an asthma attack, a car
accident, or major surgery.
Causes

19. • There are also a few medications that may possibly
cause a surge of stress hormones that can trigger
broken heart syndrome:
for example
Levothyroxine (treating low thyroid activity )
Causes

20. Risk of Takotsubo re-occurring
• About 10-15 per cent of people who have had
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy before will have another
episode.
• For people affected for a second time, the stressful
event can be completely different each time.

21. Complications
Some possible complications include:
• Pulmonary edema (backup of fluid in the
lungs)
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Disruptions in heartbeat

22. Treatment
Treatment of broken heart syndrome may include prescribed
heart medications, such as
• ACE inhibitors
• Beta blockers
• Diuretics
• Long-term stress management
o Most patients make a full recover within one to two
months .
o discontinue medications at that time under the advice of
physician.

23. Treatment
• No known medicine that has been shown to help
when someone suddenly becomes unwell from
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
• Cannot be prevented by Medicines .
• In the early stages of diagnosis, patient may receive
treatment for a heart attack, including aspirin.
• Monitoring for 24-48 hours .

24. References
1. Is broken heart syndrome real? American Heart Association.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/Cardiomyopathy/Is-Broken-Heart-
Syndrome-Real_UCM_448547_Article.jsp#.V70RB6ImGLU. Accessed Aug. 23, 2016.
2. Templin C, et al. Clinical features and outcomes of Takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy. The New
England Journal of Medicine. 2015;317:929.
3. Ferri FF. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2017. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier;
2017. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Aug. 23, 2016.
4. Augoustides JG, et al. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: A clinical update for the cardiovascular
anesthesiologist. Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. In press. Accessed Aug. 23,
2016.
5. Mejía-Rentería HD, et al. Takotsubo syndrome: Advances in the understanding and management
of an enigmatic stress cardiomyopathy. World Journal of Cardiology. 2016;8:413.
6. Broken heart syndrome. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/broken-heart-syndrome#. Accessed Aug.
25, 2016.

25. Thanks