Health
Woman Joins Groundbreaking Clinical Trial for ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ After Witnessing Mother’s Death
A 57-year-old woman from Scotland is helping researchers make medical history after joining the world’s first clinical trial focused on treating so-called “broken heart syndrome.”
According to a press release from the University of Aberdeen, Brenda Young developed takotsubo cardiomyopathy in November 2025 shortly after witnessing the death of her mother.
“I just remember thinking, ‘This cannot be happening, not today,'” Young recalled in a statement released by the university.
Doctors initially believed Young was suffering from a heart attack before determining she had takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a condition often triggered by severe emotional or physical stress that temporarily weakens the heart muscle.
Symptoms can mimic a heart attack, including chest pain. It can also be fatal, per the release, stating that 1 in 10 people can die from the condition.
Young is now among nearly 1,000 patients from 40 hospitals participating in a groundbreaking seven-year study led by the University of Aberdeen and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Researchers and clinicians are investigating whether medications known as renin-angiotensin system inhibitors — commonly used to relax blood vessels — could become the first effective treatment for the condition.
Professor Dana Dawson, who is leading the study, said in a statement in the university’s release that patients with broken heart syndrome are often left without clear treatment options.
