THE ESSENTIAL
- Broken heart syndrome was first described in the late 1990s in Japan.
- This disease most often occurs following menopause in women between the ages of 55 and 75.
When intense physical or emotional stress breaks our heart for real, it is called broken heart syndrome, also known as “Tako Tsubo”. It is called cardiomyopathy, which is a disease affecting the heart muscle and reducing the heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. This pathology, which more often affects women, leads to heart failure. Symptoms of broken heart syndrome mimic those of myocardial infarction, according to theOrphanet.
Cardiomyopathy
“Currently, there is no effective therapy to relieve the symptoms of Tako Tsubo cardiomyopathy or help people live longer,” said researchers from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. That’s why they decided to carry out a trial on physical conditioning and psychological therapy for people with broken heart syndrome, thanks to a grant from the British Heart Foundation.
90 patients will participate in the trial for three years
In a statement, the team explained that this new trial will last three years. It will involve 90 people recruited in Scotland, within three weeks of the diagnosis of this disease by doctors. A portion of the participants will take part in either personalized physical conditioning, cognitive behavioral therapy or will be part of a control group. All volunteers will perform detailed cardiac examinations three months following the start of the study.
“After spending so much time researching this disease, it is great to take this big step towards developing a standardized treatment. We look forward to seeing the results in due course,” said Dana Dawson, a professor at the University of Aberdeen.
