New Blood Score Could Distinguish Heart Attacks From Broken Heart Syndrome - StudyFinds
Researchers have developed a new blood-based diagnostic tool called the BioTAK score to distinguish between heart attacks and 'broken heart syndrome' (takotsubo syndrome). This tool could prevent unnecessary invasive procedures for patients experiencing stress-induced heart symptoms.
Why it matters
This innovation could significantly improve emergency room efficiency and patient safety by reducing the need for invasive cardiac catheterization.
(Credit: © V. Yakobchuk - stock.adobe.com)
Chest pain strikes without warning. An ambulance rushes the patient to the hospital, and doctors immediately suspect a heart attack. The usual next step is invasive: threading a catheter into the heart to check for blocked arteries. But for a surprising number of patients, especially women, there’s no blockage at all. Instead, they have takotsubo syndrome, better known as “broken heart syndrome,” a condition where intense stress or emotion causes part of the heart to stop pumping normally.
It looks like a heart attack. It feels like a heart attack. But it isn’t one, and treating it like one can mean an invasive procedure that, in some cases, might ultimately prove avoidable.
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