Cardiovascular

Broken Heart Syndrome Program Presented by Spectrum Health

Emotional Shock Can Cause Heart Failure

A broken heart has long been considered an emotional issue but research has shown it to be a real ailment that can mimic a massive heart attack. Broken Heart Syndrome (BHS) will be explored in a public presentation on Thursday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Forest Hills Fine Art Center Community Room.

“BHS also is called stress cardiomyopathy and can be triggered by extreme and sudden emotional trauma, such as news of a death of a close person, car accident, natural disaster, sudden surprise or grief,” said Cardiologist Timothy D. Fritz, MD, who will present the program.

“This condition is a sudden weakening of the muscle in the heart walls,” said Fritz. “A person can have no heart risk factors and still present with this condition. Symptoms can mimic a heart attack or sudden congestive heart failure. It is almost universally seen in women.”

The event is sponsored by the Spectrum Health Women’s Healthy Heart Program and admission is free.’ Call 616-267-2626 or toll free 877-459-2626 to register for the program. The Forest Hills Fine Art Center is located at 600 Forest Hills Avenue SE.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, a collection of seven hospitals and more than 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and’ mmpc, multispecialty physician groups with more than 400 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with nearly 500,000 members. Spectrum Health’s 16,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care. The organization provided $111.1 million in community benefit during its 2008 fiscal year. As a system, Spectrum Health has earned more than 100 awards during the past 10 years.