HEALTH: ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ Warrants Careful Monitoring.

It’s not a heart attack, but so-called “broken heart syndrome” still puts patients at high risk for hospital readmission and in-hospital death, a new study suggests.

Broken heart syndrome — also called Takotsubo syndrome — causes symptoms similar to a heart attack, including chest pain and difficulty breathing.

But while a heart attack is caused by severely blocked arteries, broken heart syndrome is typically brought on by stressful events and involves sudden weakening of the heart muscle.

Although the syndrome is thought to be temporary, the study found subsequent heart problems were not uncommon.

“Takotsubo patients should be given a detailed discharge plan and counseled on potential reasons to revisit their doctor, such as difficulty breathing or swelling of the legs,” said the study’s co-lead investigator, Dr. Nathaniel Smilowitz. He’s an assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

“These are very sick patients who need close follow-up,” Smilowitz said in a hospital news release.

Mind/body.