How a broken heart could kill you; expert describes its causes – and ways to recognise if you or a loved one might be in danger

Takotsubo syndrome is a ‘temporary heart condition often brought on by a mentally or physically stressful event’, a doctor says; it may feel like a heart attack

It’s sometimes set off by ‘happy stressors’ – positive life events like celebrations or a birth; 90 per cent of those affected are postmenopausal women

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Takotsubo syndrome is a temporary heart condition often brought on by a mentally or physically stressful event such as the death of a loved one. Photo: Shutterstock

USA TODAY

Published: 6:15pm, 17 Feb 2023

Nothing breaks like a heart, Miley Cyrus once sang. And a broken heart may have real and serious medical consequences.

The physical impacts of grief or loss can even be fatal, so immediate medical attention is crucial.

Here’s what a cardiovascular specialist says you need to know about the medical side effects of heartbreak.

Can you die from a broken heart?

A broken heart can weaken the heart’s left ventricle and have real and serious medical consequences. Photo: Shutterstock

Yes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, and accounting for one in every five deaths in the United States.

While factors such as diabetes, diet, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are risk factors for heart disease, stress – including the emotional repercussions of a broken heart – may also play a role.

“Stress can trigger a typical heart attack and people die from that,” says Dr Harmony Reynolds, the director of the Sarah Ross Soter Centre for Women’s Cardiovascular Research at New York University Langone in New York state.