Overview

• University of Aberdeen researchers randomized 76 Takotsubo patients to tailored cognitive behavioural therapy, a 12‑week structured exercise programme, or usual care, with 91% of participants being women and a mean age of 66.
• Functional capacity improved after 12 weeks, with six‑minute walk distances rising in both active groups and VO2 max increasing by about 15% with CBT and 18% with exercise, versus little change with standard care.
• Cardiac metabolism measured by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed increased energy availability in the CBT and exercise groups, an effect not seen in the usual‑care group.
• The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Madrid by Dr David Gamble and funded by the British Heart Foundation, which cautioned that long‑term effects on symptoms and survival remain unproven.
• Takotsubo syndrome, often triggered by severe emotional stress and frequently affecting older women, mimics a heart attack and is linked to higher early mortality, with about 5,000 cases diagnosed annually in Britain.