Broken hearts: Amid the long war, rare syndrome sees 100% spike in cases
In hospitals across Israel, doctors have noticed that patients suffering from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy have nearly doubled since October 7
Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, also known as "broken heart syndrome" usually appears in patients following the death of a loved one or another private tragedy.
But new research published on Wednesday is showing the first evidence that the syndrome could also be brought on by national trauma.
According to a study conducted by Professor Eli Lev and Dr. Yuval Kachila from Assuta Ashdod Medical Center, a significant increase of nearly double the frequency of cases was found in the period following the October 7 massacre.
The study was done in collaboration with Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera, Shamir Medical Center and Wolfson Hospital — both in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area — and Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba. The involvement of hospitals from across the country demonstrate that the increase in frequency could be seen in the entire population, and was not restricted to southern Israel where the invasion occurred.
"So far, the descriptions of patients with 'broken heart syndrome' have been reported following personal crises such as the death of a relative and other severe events. I am not aware of a description in the professional literature of the syndrome following a national trauma, and this is the major innovation in our research," said Professor Lev.
Lev, who is the director of the cardiology department at Assuta Ashdod, added: "The increase was close to double across the country. The hypothesis is that the extreme mental stress [of the October 7 events] resulted in an increase in the syndrome among all residents of the State of Israel."
Symptoms of stress-induced cardiomyopathy include sudden and severe chest pain, nausea, dizziness or fainting, low blood pressure, irregular heart rate (arrhythmia), and shortness of breath. The condition occurs when the heart muscle becomes suddenly stunned or weakened, and is temporary with most people recovering within two months.
Dr. Yuval Kochila said, "This research is another evidence of the deep and widespread impact of the October massacre and the war on Israeli society in general and across the country. The syndrome is manifested by a significant disorder in heart muscle contractions which can be seen on an EKG. It is not a 'benign' syndrome, and comes with significant complications and mortality rates."
The research findings were recently presented at a conference of the Israeli Cardiology Association.