Broken heart syndrome, also known as stress cardiomyopathy or takotsubo syndrome, occurs when a person experiences sudden acute stress that can rapidly weaken the heart muscle.
Stress and Heart Disease: What's the Link? Stress can increase inflammation in your body, which in turn is linked to factors that can harm your heart, such as high blood pressure and lower “good” HDL cholesterol, Blaha says. But chronic stress can also affect your heart in a more indirect way.
The Effect of Anxiety on the Heart
Rapid heart rate (tachycardia) – In serious cases, can interfere with normal heart function and increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Increased blood pressure – If chronic, can lead to coronary disease, weakening of the heart muscle, and heart failure.
Stress cardiomyopathy symptoms include sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, fast heart beats, and dizziness. Up to 30% of people who experience this condition are unaware of what triggered their symptoms.
Most often, a weakened heart muscle is caused by coronary artery disease or heart attack, but faulty heart valves, long-standing high blood pressure, and genetic disease may also be to blame. And sometimes, more than one condition may play a role in your weakening heart.
Rapid or Irregular Heartbeat The heart may speed up to compensate for its failing ability to adequately pump blood throughout the body. Patients may feel a fluttering in the heart (palpitations) or a heartbeat that seems irregular or out of rhythm. This often is described as a pounding or racing sensation in the chest.
Experiencing emotional or physical stress causes an increase in heart rate, elevation of blood pressure, and release of stress hormones. All these result in a greater workload for the heart, which can be dangerous.
Increased blood pressure – Stress and anxiety cause cortisol levels to spike which increases blood pressure and heart rate. Frequent spikes in blood pressure weaken the heart muscle and could eventually lead to coronary disease.
Prolonged periods of anxiety, however, may cause heart problems. Anxiety can cause Tachycardia, or rapid heart rate. While anxiety doesn't cause hypertension, it can cause high blood pressure. The extra strain on the heart from continued anxiety may be more damaging to someone who has an existing heart condition.
Aerobic Exercise
How much: Ideally, at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. Examples: Brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis and jumping rope. Heart-pumping aerobic exercise is the kind that doctors have in mind when they recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.
Strategies to recover from chronic stress can include practicing mindfulness activities such as meditation and breathing exercises. People can also have a support system composed of family and friends, as well as a counselor or a psychiatrist if needed. A psychiatrist can prescribe medication to reduce stress.
Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke. Sleep problems. Weight gain. Memory and concentration impairment.
Many factors affect longevity, and the Yale research indicates that chronic stress can shorten one's lifespan. Stress was already known to exacerbate physical health problems, such as increased risk for heart attack or diabetes.
Get active. Virtually any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. Even if you're not an athlete or you're out of shape, exercise can still be a good stress reliever. Physical activity can pump up your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that enhance your sense of well-being.
It's important not to go back to work too quickly or to expose yourself to very stressful situations during this phase. The recovery can take several months and you may be sensitive to stress for many years ahead.
Those with an anxiety disorder have most likely experienced a panic or anxiety attack at some point in their lives. The symptoms can closely mimic heart attacks for some people—they may feel chest pain, shortness of breath and heart palpitations, or a racing heartbeat.
Although heart failure is a serious condition that progressively gets worse over time, certain cases can be reversed with treatment. Even when the heart muscle is impaired, there are a number of treatments that can relieve symptoms and stop or slow the gradual worsening of the condition.
Most people with end-stage heart failure have a life expectancy of less than 1 year. 4. The leading causes of heart failure are diseases that damage the heart, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Adults age 65 and older are more likely than younger people to suffer from cardiovascular disease, which is problems with the heart, blood vessels, or both. Aging can cause changes in the heart and blood vessels that may increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Your heart is a muscle and, as with any muscle, exercise is what strengthens it. The first step is to determine your target heart rate, then find an activity you enjoy and can stick with for the long run.