Description

Few of us are strangers to having our hearts broken. Whether the cause is a breakup, crushed dream or death of a loved one, a broken heart inflicts a special kind of pain. It's considered an emotional state, but we allude to more than just our frame of mind when we describe it. We "feel it in our bones," say our chest hurts and call it heartbreak, after all. In today's episode, we explore the science of a broken heart — how it can physically affect the body and whether it can cause actual heart damage or even, in certain cases, death.

Hosts: Zach Moore (interviewer), Katie McCallum

Expert: Dr. Devang Parikh, Structural Interventional Cardiologist

Notable topics covered:

• Whether heartbreak can have physical effects on the body
• Yes, broken heart syndrome is an actual medical condition
• Why the syndrome can be confused with a heart attack
• The emotional and physical triggers of broken heart syndrome
• Everyday heartbreak can affect the body, too
• How common is broken heart syndrome? Who's most at risk? What's the prognosis?
• How your doctors can help unravel heartbreak syndrome's root cause
• A reminder of why it's important to have great relationships with your doctors

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.