Without knowing the difference, there could be a higher risk to patients' health and recovery. Even though broken heart syndrome isn't as serious as a heart attack, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be taken seriously. There is a lot more information in the world regarding heart attacks and their effects on your body. Unfortunately, this is not the case with broken heart syndrome. Because this syndrome is quite rare, doctors and researchers haven't been able to glean much information from it because it has to happen to know what's going on. To answer the question “Can you really die from a broken heart?” » The answer is yes. It is possible to die of a broken heart. This is not the typical broken heart you hear about when a relationship breaks up, it is a real illness that prevents the heart muscle from pumping normally and properly. The mortality rate from this syndrome is not very high because it is rare but there is still a risk of death.