Some women will have symptoms that are similar to a heart attack but do not have coronary artery disease and when tested will rule out for a heart attack. Yet, these women's hearts are not functioning normally. A study published in JAMA JAMA helps explain this phenomenon. Stress cardiomyopathy or Broken Heart Syndrome, first reported in Japan as takotsubo, is characterized by acute, profound, but reversible left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of significant coronary artery disease, triggered by acute emotional or physical stress. It is estimated that about 2% of women who present with symptoms of a heart attack may in fact have stress induced cardiomyopathy. The precise cause of this syndrome is not know but it is felt that sympathetic nerve hyperactivity of the so called the "Flight or Fight" system may be involved. Usually, the Broken Heart Syndrome affects post menopausal women but it can also affect younger women and men.
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