A 57-year-old woman from Aberdeenshire is participating in a groundbreaking UK clinical trial for broken heart syndrome, a condition often mistaken for a heart attack. Brenda Young, a residential social worker, experienced the syndrome—medically known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy—after her mother's death.
What Is Broken Heart Syndrome?
Broken heart syndrome is a temporary weakening of the heart muscle triggered by sudden emotional stress, such as grief. Unlike a heart attack, it is not caused by blocked arteries. However, it carries similar risks of death, stroke, and further attacks.
Mrs Young recalled feeling an intense, overwhelming chest pain minutes after her mother passed away. She said: 'I just remember thinking: "This cannot be happening, not today". I knew there was something really wrong.'
The Clinical Trial
Mrs Young is one of 1,000 patients from 40 hospitals across Britain taking part in a seven-year study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The trial will test renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, drugs that relax blood vessels and are typically used for heart attacks, to see if they can prevent deaths, strokes, heart failure, and repeat attacks in the long term.
Professor Dana Dawson, leading the trial from the University of Aberdeen, 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.'
Impact on Patients
Around 5,000 people in the UK suffer from broken heart syndrome each year, predominantly women. One in ten dies from the initial attack or later complications. Professor Dawson added: 'We hope this will make it clear whether these drugs are effective at preventing repeated health problems.'
Mrs Young, who had never heard of the condition before her diagnosis, hopes the trial will provide better long-term management options for future patients.
