DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Last December, my husband called the paramedics when I did not respond to him. They rushed me to the hospital when I began convulsing. I have no recollection of any of this. When I woke one week later, I was in the ICU. I was told that I had broken heart syndrome. I also was told it has to do with blood pressure. Can you confirm that there is such a thing? — A.

ANSWER: Broken heart syndrome is for real. It’s a recent addition to the catalog of illnesses. Japanese doctors first described it, and called it Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a heart illness that affects the heart muscle, not the heart arteries or heart valves.

The classical case is one where a person develops severe chest discomfort preceded by physical or emotional stress. The emotional stress could be the unexpected death of a loved one. An EKG shows a pattern that replicates the pattern of a heart attack. The heart’s function is greatly compromised. It doesn’t pump blood like it should, and that can lower blood pressure. Seizures are not included in the list of symptoms. However, a drop in blood pressure also drops the flow of blood to the brain. That can trigger seizures.

The explanation for this is a surge in the body’s stress chemicals that affect heart function. Damage to the heart muscle isn’t permanent. The heart returns to good health in a matter of weeks.

You didn’t mention any prior stress. Do you recollect any?

On the plus side, your heart arteries are in good shape, and you ought not to suffer a recurrence.

The booklet on congestive heart failure does not address broken heart syndrome, but it does address a more common condition, its treatment and its prognosis. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 103, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$5 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Recently a friend passed away from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The total course of the disease took about 10 weeks, although some recall subtle changes earlier. This has been described as human mad cow disease, or very rapid Alzheimer’s. What can you tell us about it? — T.H.

ANSWER: It’s an infection due to a new kind of germ, one that is totally protein. No other living thing, if this truly is living, is composed only of protein. The germ is called a prion. When it finds its way into the brain, it causes a rapidly progressive and profound dementia. The prion might have been there for decades, however, before signs appear. It is a truly rare disease that occurs in all parts of the world. Most of the time, it is fatal in a short time, about one year. No medicine stops its progress or improves its symptoms. Transmission of CJ disease to family members living under the same roof as the patient has not been described.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My granddaughter, 15 years old, has been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. How will this affect her future? She is now receiving physical therapy for her shoulder. — J.T.

ANSWER: Exceedingly stretchable skin, joints that can bend far past the normal range of motion and fragile blood vessels are the major features of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Actually, “syndrome” should be in the plural. There are six variations of it. All of them have a genetic basis. The problem lies in collagen. It’s not the normal kind of collagen. Collagen is the body’s cement and building material. Since your granddaughter was diagnosed at a relatively older age, I take that to mean she has one of the less-serious forms of the illness. If my assumption is correct, her future should not be compromised. Was her shoulder dislocated? That commonly happens to joints of these patients.

You can reach the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation on the Internet at www.ednf.org. The foundation provides people with in-depth information and advises them of any new developments in treatment. Contact it. You’ll be happy you did.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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