Recruits Wanted for Research on First-Ever Treatment for ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ | UK News

Scientists are hoping to recruit nearly 100 Scots to try the first-ever treatment for a condition known as Broken Heart Syndrome.

Researchers from the University of Aberdeen are working on how to help people with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy – a condition that affects around 5,000 people across the UK each year.

In Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle suddenly weakens, usually due to intense emotional or physical stress.

At least 7% of all heart attacks are attributed to this condition.

Scientists will test a program of exercise and psychological therapies for those affected.

The work has been described as a “major step towards the development of a standardized treatment” and is being carried out thanks to a £300,000 grant from the British Heart Foundation.

The new study aims to recruit 90 people from across Scotland, with participants signing up within three weeks of an episode.

They will then receive either a personalized exercise conditioning program, a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program, or become part of the control group.

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dr David Gamble of the University of Aberdeen said Takotsubo cardiomyopathy “remains a comparatively poorly understood condition”.

“It is critical that we develop a high-quality evidence base to guide physicians in the management of this condition,” he added.

Professor Dana Dawson, also from the university, said: “We already know that cardiovascular disease affects men and women differently, so there is no reason why a one-size-fits-all treatment for broken heart syndrome should work.

“Having spent so much time researching this condition, it is great to be taking this major step towards developing a standardized treatment for it and we look forward to seeing the results in due course.”

The research is expected to last for the next three years.

The university has already pioneered research into the condition, which was only recognized in the late 1990s.