Lifestyle: The best way to swerve a broken heart

I’m sure you are thinking I made this up. Sorry to disappoint you, but there is a recognized medical condition known as broken heart syndrome.

Broken heart syndrome, also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a reaction to a surge of stress hormones — that can be caused by an emotionally stressful event. It could be the death of a loved one or even a divorce, breakup or physical separation, betrayal or romantic rejection. It could even happen after a good shock (like winning the lottery).

Broken heart syndrome is more common in women.

Broken heart syndrome may be misdiagnosed as a heart attack because the symptoms and test results are similar, but unlike a heart attack, there’s no evidence of blocked heart arteries in broken heart syndrome.

In broken heart syndrome, a part of your heart temporarily enlarges and doesn’t pump well, while the rest of your heart functions normally or with even more forceful contractions.

Broken heart syndrome is rarely fatal, and in most cases, sufferers make a full recovery within weeks.

Please be gentle with that heart; you do not want to be the cause of a fatally broken heart.