Broken Heart Syndrome News and Research

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New system uses ECG and blood markers for Takotsubo Syndrome

It's often mistaken for a heart attack, but Takotsubo cardiomyopathy – previously known as Broken Heart syndrome – is a serious and sometimes fatal heart condition increasingly reported in intensive care units (ICUs). Yet without a clear clinical pathway in ICUs, it's often missed, putting critically ill patients at risk.

19 Aug 2025

Smartwatch alerts retired nurse to heart injury, prompting life-saving hospital care

A smartwatch detected abnormal ECG changes in a 76-year-old woman experiencing chest pain following emotional stress. Hospital investigations confirmed takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy, highlighting the potential and limitations of wearable health technology in acute cardiac care.

10 Jun 2025

US hospitals see rising complications in patients with takotsubo cardiomyopathy

A large US study found that takotsubo cardiomyopathy is associated with high in-hospital mortality and serious cardiovascular complications, with no improvements in outcomes over five years. Mortality is more than double in men compared to women, and risk factors include age, race, and hospital characteristics.

15 May 2025

Bereavement linked to increased risk of death in heart failure patients

Heart failure patients experiencing grief or in mourning following the loss of a close family member are at an increased risk of death, particularly during the first week following the family member's death, according to a study published today in JACC: Heart Failure.

6 Jul 2022

'Stroke-heart syndrome' may put stroke survivors at higher risk for future cardiovascular events

People who survive an ischemic stroke are much more likely to develop major heart complications during the first month after their stroke, and, as a result, they also have an increased risk of death, heart attack or another stroke within five years, compared to people who don't develop heart problems soon after a stroke, according to new research published today in Stroke, the peer-reviewed, flagship journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

31 Mar 2022

The ‘grief pandemic’ will torment Americans for years

Cassandra Rollins' daughter was still conscious when the ambulance took her away.

2 Jun 2021

Early MR imaging can greatly increase the diagnosis of broken-heart syndrome

In almost ten per cent of myocardial infarctions, no obvious cause in the coronary artery can be found. Some of the patients are diagnosed with broken-heart syndrome, while others are left without a diagnosis.

28 Apr 2021

Researchers show strong link between Takotsubo syndrome and impaired thyroid function

Researchers have found a new hypothesis for explaining Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as broken heart syndrome.

1 Dec 2020

Research findings open the way for more heart donations

There is a risk of every fourth heart examined for possible donation being dismissed as unusable due to stress-induced heart failure.

26 Sep 2019

New research links “broken heart syndrome” to cancer

Researchers have discovered a new link between broken-heart syndrome, or takotsubo syndrome, and the second leading cause of death in the world: cancer.

18 Jul 2019

Researchers discover why exercise is good and high blood pressure is bad for the heart

When the heart is put under stress during exercise, it is considered healthy. Yet stress due to high blood pressure is bad for the heart. Why? And is this always the case? Researchers of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research and of Heidelberg University Hospital have obtained new findings which indicate that a previously undetected signal pathway causes or protects from heart failure - depending on the type of stress.

9 Jan 2018

Heart break could lead to severe and long term heart damage

Heart break is actually damaging for the heart finds a new study. Researchers have found that persons undergoing a heart break could suffer from damages to the heart that is similar to heart attacks.

19 Nov 2017

DZHK study shows physical stress as risk factor for broken heart syndrome

The loss of a loved one, a dispute with your neighbor, infections or a fall - mental and physical stress can be triggers of a broken heart (broken heart syndrome). What is more, physical stress seems to be more dangerous than emotional stress, a study of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research shows.

20 Jun 2017

Broken heart syndrome may cause permanent damage

A condition called Takotsubo syndrome may cause longer-term damage to the heart muscle than was previously thought, according to a study funded by the British Heart Foundation.

19 Jun 2017

TGen, Barrow researchers identify genetic risk factors linked to stress-induced cardiomyopathy

Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute and Barrow Neurological Institute have for the first time identified genetic risk factors that are linked to stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC), a rare type of heart disease.

1 Dec 2015

Heart disease becomes the major killer of women in Norway

More research is carried out on breast cancer than on women's heart attack. Even though heart attack kills more women.

26 Oct 2015

Study links broken heart syndrome to natural disasters

Dramatic spikes in cases of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also called broken heart syndrome, were found in two states after major natural disasters, suggesting the stress of disasters as a likely trigger, according to research to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

28 Mar 2014

Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy can also be deadly when compounded by other co-morbidities

Even though a newly recognized cardiomyopathy, which mainly impacts women, is typically treatable, Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy can also be deadly when compounded by other co-morbidities, such as heart failure, according to a study being presented March 9 at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Sessions.

11 Mar 2013

Broken heart syndrome arms against epinephrine high

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome,” may actually protect the heart from very high levels of epinephrine, suggest results from an animal study.

10 Jul 2012

Broken heart syndrome arms against epinephrine high

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome,” may actually protect the heart from very high levels of epinephrine, suggest results from an animal study.

10 Jul 2012