Every playoff season, I get asked about the impact of stress on the human heart. The joys and heartbreak of watching your team win, then lose, then snatch victory from the jaws of defeat can strain even the stoutest heart. But in the medical field, the impact of stress on the heart is harder to gauge.  

There is a real condition called broken heart syndrome, formally called stress induced cardiomyopathy or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Though not completely understood, it seems to be caused by the sudden surge of stress hormones after an intense stressful episode. 

Importantly, the heart failure seen with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is not caused by a heart attack. Although the symptoms of chest pain or shortness of breath feel similar, the heart’s arteries are clear when checked after the fact. Treatment and short-term management is the same, minus the blood thinners as there is no blockage.

Most people, vaguely remembering the plot of King Lear from high school,........

© Montreal Gazette