Exercise and therapy could help cure a broken heart, a condition diagnosed in 5,000 Britons each year, according to new research.
Known as Takotsubo syndrome, the condition occurs when the heart muscle weakens and changes shape. It is often caused by severe emotional or physical stress, such as bereavement.
The syndrome mimics the symptoms of a heart attack and doubles the risk of early death for those affected.
Dr David Gamble, from the University of Aberdeen, 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 trial was the first of its kind and funded by the British Heart Foundation and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid, the world’s largest heart conference.
It was found that cognitive behavioural therapy and a heart recovery exercise programme resulted in physical improvements in patients with Takotsubo syndrome
Dr Gamble said: “These results further highlight the importance of ‘the brain-heart axis’. It shows that cognitive behavioural therapy or exercise could help patients along the road to recovery.”
The trial randomly assigned 76 patients diagnosed with the condition to receive cognitive behavioural therapy, an exercise programme, or standard care. Those in the exercise programme were prescribed several forms of exercise, including cycling, running, and swimming, over the course of 12 weeks.
By the end of the trial, those in the exercise programme could walk an average of 528 metres in six minutes, up from an average of 457 metres beforehand. They also had an improved ability to consume oxygen by 18 per cent.
It saw similar results for those who received therapy, with an increase of 458 metres in six minutes, up from 402 metres, and an oxygen consumption improvement of 15 per cent.
There were minimal heart health improvements in the patients who received the standard care.
The condition was first discovered in the late 1990s and is attributed to the cause of at least 7 per cent of heart attacks.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, British Heart Foundation’s clinical director, said: “Takotsubo syndrome can be a devastating condition that can affect you at a really vulnerable time if triggered by a major life event.
“People may not be as surprised that an exercise programme helped heart patients, but it is intriguing that this study also showed that cognitive behavioural therapy improved heart function and patients’ fitness.”
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