Broken Heart Syndrome Affects Hundreds of Minnesotans

By Susie Jones, NewsRadio 830 WCCO

WCCO's Susie Jones Interviews Dr. Scott Sharkey

There is a lot of talk of love this Valentine's Day, but for those suffering from a broken heart, it's a serious matter.

Broken heart syndrome is a rare condition in which emotional or physical stress causes people to feel like they are having a heart attack.

Dr. Scott Sharkey is a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute. He said the damage to the heart is usually temporary and is related to excessive amounts of stress hormones.

"This all seems to be caused by a stressful event in a person's life, typically either a psychological stress or a physical stress, like an illness," he said.

About 200 cases of broken heart syndrome have been documented at the Minneapolis Heart Institute, Sharkey said. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester have also confirmed 200 cases.

Sharkey said the condition affects mostly post-menopausal women.