Doctors may have discovered the secret of repairing a broken heart in a first clinical trial.
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world live with a takotsubo cardiomyopathy, known as broken heart syndrome, which means that the heart muscle changes shape and weaken suddenly. It is generally triggered by serious emotional or physical stress, like losing a loved one.
Patients may experience symptoms similar to a heart attack and face twice the risk of dying early compared to the general population. Some experience heart failure, resulting in debilitating symptoms such as fatigue, as well as a shorter life expectancy. There is no remedy.
But now doctors may have the answer. The first randomized controlled trial in the world for broken heart syndrome has revealed that 12 weeks of custom-made cognitive behavioral therapy, or a cardiac recovery exercise program involving swimming, cycling and aerobic, helped the hearts of patients to recover.
The details of the breakthrough were revealed at the annual congress of the European Cardiology Society in Madrid, the largest conference in the heart in the world.
Dr. David Gamble, master of clinical conferences in cardiology at the University of Aberdeen, who presented research, said: “In Takotsubo syndrome, there are serious effects on the heart, which may not return to normal. We know that patients can be affected for the rest of their lives and that their long -term heart health is similar to people who have survived a heart attack. ”
The test data highlighted the importance of “the axis at the heart of the brain,” said Gamble.
“This shows that cognitivo-behavioral therapy or exercise could help patients along the recovery path. Both are very profitable interventions, and we hope that other studies could lead them to be used to help this unprecedented group. ”
The study involved 76 patients with Takotsubo syndrome, 91% of whom were women and the average age was 66 years. Patients were randomly assigned to receive TCC, exercise program or standard care. All have received all the other care and treatments recommended by their cardiologist.
The CBT group had 12 individual weekly sessions, specifically adapted to their state by researchers, as well as daily support if necessary.
The exercise group took a 12 -week exercise course, which included bicycle machines, treadmills, aerobic and swimming, gradually increasing in number of sessions and intensity each week.
The researchers used a sophisticated imaging technique called resonance spectroscopy 31 pmagnetic, which allowed them to study how patients of patients produced, stored and used energy. In TCC and exercise groups, there was a significant increase in the amount of fuel available in the hearts of patients to allow them to pump, which was not observed in people who had usual care.
The average distance according to which TCC patients could walk in six minutes increased from 402 meters to 458 meters. People who finished the exercise program were able to walk an average of 528 meters in six minutes, compared to 457 meters at the start.
There was also an increase in the VO2 max of patients – maximum oxygen consumption from their bodies to the advanced exercise – 15% in the CBT group and 18% in the exercise group. The increases in walking distance and VO2 max are signs of improving health.
The results suggest that treatments could produce long -term advantages such as reducing symptoms and the risk of dying for people with broken heart syndrome, experts said.
Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director of the British Heart Foundation, who financed the test, said: “Takotsubo syndrome can be a devastating condition that can affect you at a truly vulnerable moment if it is triggered by a major life event.
“People may not be as surprised as an exercise program helped heart patients, but it is intriguing that this study has also shown that cognitive behavioral therapy improves the heart function and the physical form of patients. Additional research is necessary to know if these approaches improve survival or long -term symptoms. ”
