broken heart syndrome

love is in the air on valentine's day - but for some people love can be a sore subject. many of us have experienced the emotional pain that comes with heartbreak. but for some - that pain can lead to a serious medical condition called the broken

heart syndrome. news 4's angela christoforos met a western new york woman who felt the effects firsthand, angela. jacquie dying of a broken heart is something we've all heard of - you may recall in late december actress debbie reynolds passed away one day after her

daughter carrie fischer. it isn't just a figure of speech - you actually can die of heartbreak. and the condition can strike people who are completely healthy. when melania (pronounced melanie) gromek thinks back to her favorite memories of her big

sister, florence - it's the little things that come to mind. ((she was just a good friend, did a lot of things together, christmas baking was always together, and we just got along well we understood eachother.)) they had a 16 year age difference, but

a very strong sisterly bond. ((she was just there when i needed her, and she would call every week to see how you're doing.)) in 2010, melania's sister florence suddenly passed away. ((it was just a surprise, it was a shock actually. something you

didn't expect to happen.)) the next morning, melania said something felt off. ((my stomach just felt uneasy. it wasn't a pain, it wasn't pressure, it just didn't feel right. and my chest just, a peculiar feeling which i've never had before.))

((she presented with chest pains, shortness of breath, ekgs and blood work everything pointing towards she was having a real heart attack.)) doctor mohan says unlike most patients who have a heart attack - melania didn't have any major blockages in her arteries.

((we treated her, she got out of the hospital, and when i reassesed her heart again in a few weeks her heart function came back normal and that is when we make the diagnosis this is broken heart syndrome.)) takotsubo cardiomyopathy known as the broken heart

syndrome is caused by a sudden emotional stress trigger - but the symptoms, like melania's, can be subtle. ((he said you've had a heart attack. i've had a heart attack? i didn't have any true symptoms i mean i wasn't having trouble

breathing.)) dr. mohan says the condition is not very common. in western new york he sees 1 or 2 patients with broken heart syndrome a year. he says it's most common in females ages 60 and up. ((unfortunately based on the recent data, in about 4 to 10

percent of patients it can reoccur. we still don't understand why.)) it's been nearly 7 years since melania's sister florence passed away. some of the emotional pain has faded - but melania still meets with doctor mohan to have her heart function monitored every 4

to 6 months. ((after the death of a closed loved one don't disregard some symptoms because this would've been very easy for me to disregard and what kept me motivated i don't know.)) dr. mohan says broken heart syndrome is considered an under

recognized condition. and as you just saw with melania (melanie) - many people do survive. a side note - after her sister florence passed away - her husband who