90% Accurate: AI Test Spots 'Broken Heart'

Researchers have made a breakthrough in diagnosing 'broken heart syndrome', also known as Takotsubo syndrome, with a new test that can tell it apart from a heart attack with nearly 90% accuracy. The BioTAK score, developed by an international team of researchers working with scientists at the universities of Zurich and Greifswald, combines biological sex with several blood biomarkers linked to different processes in the cardiovascular system.

The BioTAK score uses artificial intelligence to determine which combination of biomarkers provides the most useful diagnostic information. In a validation study of nearly 1,800 patients, the BioTAK score correctly classified nearly 90% of participants. This is significant, as Takotsubo syndrome can be extremely difficult to tell apart from a heart attack during the first stages of evaluation.

Takotsubo syndrome accounts for about 2 percent of patients initially thought to be having a heart attack, and can affect up to one in ten women with acute coronary syndrome. The condition is a sudden heart condition that most often affects postmenopausal women and can be triggered by intense emotional or physical stress. People with Takotsubo syndrome can suddenly experience chest pain, abnormal electrocardiogram results, and elevated levels of cardiac enzymes, all signs that can closely resemble a heart attack.

## Why it matters The key difference between Takotsubo syndrome and a heart attack is that Takotsubo syndrome does not involve blocked coronary arteries. Because the two conditions can look nearly identical at first, many patients undergo invasive cardiac catheterization before doctors can determine what is causing their symptoms. The BioTAK score can help distinguish Takotsubo syndrome from heart attacks, reducing the need for invasive testing and improving patient outcomes.

The development of the BioTAK score is a significant step forward in the diagnosis of Takotsubo syndrome, and has the potential to improve the care of patients with this condition. With the BioTAK score, doctors may be able to identify Takotsubo syndrome before cardiac catheterization is performed, reducing the risk of unnecessary invasive procedures and improving patient outcomes.