Why Broken Heart Syndrome Is Deadlier for Men—And Too Often Overlooked

It started like a routine hospital visit. A 59-year-old man walked into a Beijing clinic for a standard medical procedure.

But then—sharp chest pain. Gasping for air. His heart, it seemed, was under siege.

What followed wasn’t a typical heart attack. Doctors diagnosed him with takotsubo cardiomyopathy—a condition so closely tied to emotional pain that it's often called broken heart syndrome.

For months, this man had quietly carried the heavy weight of fear and anxiety following cancer surgery, never letting his family see just how frightened he was.

That silent stress—unspoken and unresolved—may have played a role in stopping his heart.

And he’s not alone.