Brenda Young experienced an intense and overwhelming pain in her chest when her mother passed away last year. She was admitted to the hospital, where a heart attack was initially suspected. However, the 57-year-old from St Fergus in Aberdeenshire was instead diagnosed with a condition known as broken heart syndrome. Also referred to as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, this sudden illness is estimated to affect thousands of people in the UK annually. Now, Brenda hopes that a trial of medication aimed at treating broken heart syndrome, currently underway at the University of Aberdeen, will provide relief.
What Triggers Broken Heart Syndrome?
Broken heart syndrome differs from a heart attack caused by blocked blood vessels, but it presents similar symptoms such as breathlessness and chest pain. It is typically triggered by extreme emotional or physical stress. An unhappy event, like the loss of a loved one, is often the cause. However, even positive events—such as a wedding, a significant financial gain, or a new job—have been linked to this condition.
Brenda, a residential social worker in Peterhead, has always led an active and busy life. But when her mother, Margaret Chisholm, died in November last year at the age of 79, the chest pains began within minutes. “I just remember thinking ‘this cannot be happening, not today’,” she recalled. “I knew there was something really wrong. My family were all around my mum’s bedside, and I thought ‘how can I tell them I’m having chest pain? Not now’.”
She was told she had likely suffered a heart attack and was quickly admitted to the hospital for tests. There, she was informed that she had experienced broken heart syndrome. “I said, ‘what on earth is that? I had never heard of this before,” she said. “I want to raise awareness about this condition and am hopeful that the new trial could unlock a specific treatment.”
Unlocking New Treatment
Brenda is currently recovering at home and beginning to return to work. She believes more people should be aware of the condition and is optimistic about the potential of the ongoing trial. The seven-year-long study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), involves scientists and clinicians from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, and Belfast. They will collaborate with nearly 1,000 patients across 40 hospitals nationwide.
The study will evaluate whether medicines that relax blood vessels, called renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, could be an effective treatment for broken heart syndrome.
Prof Dana Dawson, chair in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Aberdeen and consultant cardiologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, is leading the trial. “Takotsubo syndrome affects thousands of people in the UK each year—most of whom are women,” she explained. “It is a growing problem, and with improved clinical recognition, the diagnosis rate has increased five-fold in the past decade.”
Dawson noted that the long-term risk of death or serious health problems after a takotsubo attack is similar to that of a heart attack caused by a blocked heart artery. However, there are no proven therapies for takotsubo, leaving doctors and patients uncertain and concerned. “We will be testing for the first time if RAS inhibitors can help in the long-term,” she said. “People living with takotsubo syndrome are effectively in limbo at the moment. There is no proven therapy, which means treatments can vary from person to person.”
She added that following an attack, the impact on a patient’s quality of life can be extremely debilitating. “We may find the first therapy that improves survival and reduces the burden of disease after a takotsubo attack, or we may establish these are not effective and therefore redirect the search to other treatments that may work.”
Dawson has worked on the syndrome for over 15 years and expressed excitement about working on a potential treatment. The researchers are also aiming to extend the study in Australia through collaborations with colleagues from Perth and Adelaide.
