Broken heart syndrome: Update

Broken heart syndrome (BHS), which was first reported in 1991, is an acute cardiomyopathy that mimics an acute coronary syndrome with left ventricular systolic dysfunction without obstructive coronary artery disease. Its prevalence is approximately 1.2-2% in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing coronary catheterization. Chest pain is the most common clinical presentation. Sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation could be the first clinical manifestation. The patients are mostly postmenopausal women. BHS is a diagnosis of exclusion and has no single definitive diagnostic test. Nevertheless, most of the patients have an excellent prognosis. This review provides a general overview of BHS and focuses on current practices in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, as well as update current information on the pathophysiology.