“Broken heart syndrome” can look just like a heart attack. This test can tell them apart

Takotsubo syndrome is a sudden heart condition that most often affects postmenopausal women and can be triggered by intense emotional or physical stress. It accounts for about 2 percent of patients initially thought to be having a heart attack - and up to one in ten women with acute coronary syndrome - yet it can be extremely difficult to tell apart from a heart attack during the first stages of evaluation.

People with Takotsubo syndrome can suddenly experience chest pain, abnormal electrocardiogram results, and elevated levels of cardiac enzymes - all signs that can closely resemble a heart attack. The key difference is that Takotsubo syndrome does not involve blocked coronary arteries. Because the two conditions can look nearly identical at first, many patients undergo invasive cardiac catheterization before doctors can determine what is causing their symptoms.