Happy Heart: Study Claims That Extreme Happiness Can Trigger The "Broken Heart Syndrome"

Takutsubo Syndrome (TTS), most commonly known as the broken heart syndrome have always been known to be caused by extremely stressful and sad life events like a breakup or a death of someone close to you. It was first discovered by the Japanese in 1990 and was linked to negative emotions such as sadness, pain, and fear. However, a new study claims there are evidence proving that happy events can break your heart, too.

According to medicaldaily.com, a new study revealed that extreme happiness can strain your heart just as much as severe sadness that may possibly lead your heart to suffer from induced cardiomyopathy, or what is commonly known as the broken heart syndrome. The researchers used the International Takotsubo Registry at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland to analyze emotional events that may have triggered TTS.

The data showed that a 458 patients' TTS was triggered by emotional events; four percent experienced happy events such as a birth of a child, wedding, or a surprise party before the heart condition happened. However, the majority of the cases, summing up to 96 percent were found to be caused by extremely stressful events.

 Another more surprising point in the data was that 95 percent of the people who suffered the condition were women and was supported by a past study saying that the condition mainly happens to older women.

Global News reported that the study's lead author and cardiologist, Dr. Jelena Ghadri said that triggers for TTS can be more different than what was originally thought. A patient suffering from TTS can no longer be called a "broken-hearted" patient and because the condition can follow a positive emotion, too. "Doctors should be aware of this and also consider that patients who arrive in the emergency department with signs of heart attacks, such as chest pain and breathlessness, but after a happy event or emotion, could be suffering from TTS," she explained.