Men are twice likely to die from 'broken heart syndrome' than women: Study

India Today

15-05-2025

Men are twice as likely to die from stress-induced heart failure, known as 'broken heart syndrome,' compared to women, a new study has found, despite the condition being far more common among women.Broken heart syndrome, medically known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, often triggered by intense emotional or physical stress such as the death of a loved one, is a heart condition that mimics a heart attack.advertisementIt causes symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and in many cases, irregular heartbeats. It can lead to severe complications or even death if not treated promptly.The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, analysed health records of nearly 2,00,000 U.S. adults from 2016 to 2020.Researchers found that the overall death rate from the condition remained high at 6.5%, with no signs of improvement over the five-year period. While 5.5% of women diagnosed with the condition died, the mortality rate for men stood at a significantly higher 11.2%."Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a serious condition with a substantial risk of death and severe complications,' said study author Dr. Mohammad Reza Movahed, an interventional cardiologist and professor at the University of Arizona's Sarver Heart Centre. He called the consistently high death rate "alarming," urging more focused research to improve treatment.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, often triggered by intense emotional or physical stress such as the death of a loved one, is a heart condition that mimics a heart attack. ()
advertisementThe study found that older adults, especially those over 61, were the most vulnerable, though even adults between ages 46 and 60 were 2.6 to 3.25 times more likely to develop the condition than younger adults between 31 and 45.White adults had the highest incidence of the condition at 0.16%, followed by Native American (0.13%) and Black adults (0.07%).Several complications were observed in patients: congestive heart failure in 35.9%, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) in 20.7%, cardiogenic shock in 6.6%, stroke in 5.3%, and cardiac arrest in 3.4%. Movahed emphasised that many of these serious complications could potentially be prevented through early treatment and monitoring.The study also found that socioeconomic factors such as household income, hospital size, and insurance status, had an impact on outcomes, though the exact role they play needs more exploration.While the exact reason for the higher death rate in men remains unclear, researchers suspect hormonal differences or a higher rate of physical stress in men could be contributing factors.Dr. Movahed urged doctors to stay alert to this under-recognized condition, especially in older patients experiencing significant stress, and called for the development of better treatment options to help reduce its fatal toll.