Dealing with chronic stress with good habits can help your heart in the long run. But sometimes acute stress can have a profound effect on the way your heart functions. It’s called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or, in layman’s terms, “broken heart syndrome.” “Broken heart syndrome is a weakening of the left ventricle, which is the heart’s main pumping chamber,” Dr. Mattocks says. “It prevents the heart from contracting efficiently, and the overall heart function can decline.” A sudden, significant emotional blow, such as the death of a loved one, can lead to broken heart syndrome. A serious illness or physical trauma also can cause it. The symptoms of broken heart syndrome are often indistinguishable from a heart attack, Dr. Mattocks says. “If an EKG shows abnormalities but the coronary arteries look good on catheterization, a poor heart squeeze may be due to broken heart syndrome,” she says. The condition, which often does not result in long-term effects, is much more common in women than in men. It typically affects people aged 60 and older.