A panic attack does not cause heart attacks from blockages in the heart's arteries. By definition, panic attacks resolve within a discrete period of time. If symptoms continue, then a heart attack may have been the diagnosis all along. On the other hand, there is a syndrome called stress-induced cardiomyopathy, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or "broken heart syndrome" in which an acute stressful event triggers a stress reaction in the heart. Classically, this happens with a distressful and unexpected event, like hearing news of a loved one's death.