Scientists hope to recruit nearly 100 Scots for a trial of the first treatment for a disease known as broken heart syndrome.
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen are working on how to help people with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a disease that affects around 5,000 people in the UK each year.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is where the heart muscle suddenly weakens, usually due to severe physical or emotional stress.
At least 7% of all heart attacks are attributed to the disease.
Scientists will test a program of exercise and psychological therapies for those affected.
The work has been described as a “big step towards the development of standardized treatment” and is being carried out thanks to a £ 300,000 grant from the British Heart Foundation.
The new trial aims to recruit 90 people from across Scotland, with participants enrolled in the three weeks following an episode.
They will then be offered a personalized exercise conditioning program, a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) regimen, or be part of the control group.
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Dr. David Gamble, of Aberdeen University, said takotsubo cardiomyopathy “remains a relatively poorly understood condition.”
“It is vital that we develop a high-quality evidence base to guide physicians in the management of this condition,” he added.
Professor Dana Dawson, also of the university, said: “We already know that cardiovascular disease affects men and women in different ways, so there is no reason why a single treatment should work for heart syndrome. broken.
“After so much time researching this disease, it’s fantastic to take this big step towards developing a standardized treatment for this disease and we look forward to seeing the results in due course.”
The research will be extended over the next three years.
The university has already led the way in disease research, which was only recognized in the late 1990s.