Key Takeaways

Most of us can overcome heartbreak with a pint of ice cream and a good cry, but not everyone is so lucky. 

After analyzing a national study of approximately 200,000 American adults, the American Heart Association found that the risk of death from Broken Heart Syndrome “was high and unchanged from 2016 to 2020,” and that “men with the condition were twice as likely to die.”

A breakup is a textbook example of the type of high-stress event that causes Broken Heart Syndrome, hence the name. Broken Heart Syndrome generally strikes in the wake of a highly stressful emotional or physical event — often both. It’s not just the feeling that one’s heart is breaking, either. 

An echocardiogram of someone diagnosed with Broken Heart Syndrome would show a weakening of the heart’s left ventricle, which Harvard Health calls “the heart’s main pumping chamber.” However, this weakening is usually temporary.

“Most individuals who experience it recover fully within two months and are at low risk for it happening again,” Harvard Health explained. 

But the Journal of the American Heart Association recently made an important update: Broken Heart Syndrome affects more women than men, but 11% of men died compared to 5% of women. 

Men Don’t Always Know How To Express Their Emotions

The disproportionate death toll may have several explanations, including how men typically experience Broken Heart Syndrome following physical stress and not emotional stress.

But this doesn’t eliminate the danger of emotional stress — on the contrary, said Dr. M. Reza Movahed, an interventional cardiologist and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center in Tucson. 

“The continued high death rate is alarming, suggesting that more research be done for better treatment and finding new therapeutic approaches to this condition,” said Movahed, who is a contributing writer for the American Heart Association.

Men must learn how to express emotional distress in a healthy, relieving way — perhaps even from the comfort of their dating apps. 

It’s not only up to healthcare providers to help prevent deadly cases of Broken Heart Syndrome. Since Broken Heart Syndrome is sometimes catalyzed by the emotional stress that follows bad breakups, dating industry professionals all have an opportunity to spread awareness and provide breakup support. 

And as we now know, Broken Heart Syndrome isn’t always a result of a breakup.

Anything that is emotionally distressing can lead to symptoms of Broken Heart Syndrome. For example, the shock of discovering that your online crush of six months is actually a catfish. Maybe you’ve been the victim of a devastating romance scam that left you penniless, ashamed, and isolated from your friends and family.

In both scenarios, the victims walk away from a dating app with a bruised ego and a broken heart instead of a soulmate. That’s not to mention their betrayed vulnerability, which takes time to heal.

It’s not uncommon to think of women as highly emotional and men as, well, not, which makes the disproportionate male death toll from Broken Heart Syndrome especially surprising. But it’s impossible to say how anyone, gender identity aside, will react to these traumatic scenarios.

Besides, there’s ongoing evidence that men in particular need help coping with their more complicated emotions.

As the male loneliness epidemic rages on, it’s becoming more obvious that men need greater emotional support than we sometimes like to think they do. 

When The Loneliness Epidemic Rears Its Ugly Head

Back in 2023, then-surgeon general Vivek H. Murthy officially called loneliness an epidemic and cited the numerous health risks, including “a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.”  

The obvious solution to loneliness is companionship. Counselors, dating coaches, and even dating app developers all create authentic and emotionally satisfying connections in their own unique ways.

But they don’t always play a role if, and when, these relationships break down.

The American Heart Association’s study suggests that both men and women — but especially men — would benefit from emotional support resources following a breakup.

In the aftermath of a breakup, when emotions are high and we’re desperate for distraction, some of us choose destructive ways to let off steam. Risky rebounds, alcohol-fueled all nighters, severe isolation; no judgement here, but there are healthier ways to channel heartbreak. Dating professionals have the opportunity to be a hero to the heartbroken.

For example, dating apps can provide contact information for mental health services, which could go a long way to alleviate the emotional stress of a breakup. 

Men in particular could benefit from expert-reviewed resources that help them cope with loneliness in healthy and actionable ways. As psychologist Janina Larissa Bühler explained to Psychology Today, men sometimes have more to lose after a breakup than women: 

“The strong dependence on romantic relationships may make breakups particularly stressful for men, as they are confronted with the loss of a central resource: emotional support,” according to Dr. Bühler.

Yes, breakup support apps exist. But dating apps also have an opportunity to make a positive impact on users by providing mental and emotional support services. Today’s dating apps don’t have to give in to the stereotype that they are gamified money-grabbers. 

Daters expect more from dating apps these days. Providing important mental and emotional resources to both men and women — including mental health hotlines, communication tips, and break-up support, for example — sends a reassuring message to daters: “We care about your wellbeing at the beginning and end of your relationship.” 

Here’s the cold, honest truth: Both men and women are going to feel lousy following a breakup. Feeling lost, alone, and uncertain about one’s future is normal. But it is unusual — and potentially fatal — when these feelings develop into Broken Heart Syndrome. 

There’s a clear opportunity for dating professionals to use their expertise for more than making matches. With high-quality emotional support resources in their toolbox, it may be possible to avoid a broken heart — we mean that literally and metaphorically.