"Broken heart syndrome": Why do men die more than women?

A new study has revealed that "Broken Heart Syndrome" poses a greater threat to men despite affecting women more. The study conducted in the United States between 2016 and 2020 included around 200,000 hospital admissions, showing significant gender differences in the outcomes of this syndrome. While Broken Heart Syndrome, also known as "Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy," is caused by severe physical or emotional stress, its symptoms resemble those of a heart attack such as chest pain and shortness of breath, but are not related to artery blockage. Although most patients recover from it, a small percentage may experience serious complications such as heart failure or death. The study revealed that 11% of men who suffered from the syndrome during the study period died, compared to only 5% of women. This disparity in deaths may be attributed to the nature of triggers leading to the syndrome; emotional stress like grief or job loss often being the cause in women, while physical stress like surgeries, strokes, or infections being more common among men. The study also indicated that men suffer from lower social support, weakening their chances of recovery compared to women. On the other hand, the study pointed out that stress hormones like adrenaline can temporarily weaken heart function, but researchers believe stress is not the sole factor, as cases of Broken Heart Syndrome have also occurred after simple situations like nausea or distressing life events. Additionally, some individuals seem to have a biological predisposition to this syndrome due to factors like high blood pressure or cholesterol, leading to reduced blood flow in the tiny vessels surrounding the heart. Despite the use of certain medications to treat the syndrome in specific cases, the study confirmed that no drugs have shown clear effectiveness in reducing complications or decreasing associated death rates.