Health
Researchers develop blood biomarker score to identify broken heart syndrome
The BioTAK score combines blood tests and biological sex to distinguish Takotsubo syndrome from heart attacks before invasive catheterization.
The short version
- An international research team created the BioTAK score, a tool combining patient sex and blood biomarkers to diagnose Takotsubo syndrome.
- The tool was validated in a group of nearly 1,800 patients, accurately identifying the condition in almost 90 percent of cases prior to invasive testing.
- Researchers state the tool could streamline emergency triage and reduce unnecessary catheterizations, though further studies are needed before routine clinical adoption.
Key facts
- Takotsubo syndrome mimics heart attack symptoms, such as chest pain and abnormal electrocardiograms, but does not involve blocked coronary arteries.[ScienceDaily]
- The syndrome accounts for roughly 2 percent of initial suspected heart attacks and up to 10 percent of acute coronary syndrome presentations in women.[ScienceDaily]
- The study, published in the European Heart Journal, used artificial intelligence to select biomarker combinations and evaluated data from over 3,600 registry patients.[ScienceDaily]
- In an independent validation group of nearly 1,800 individuals, the BioTAK scoring tool correctly classified close to 90 percent of patients prior to catheterization.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- It remains to be determined through further clinical studies whether implementing the BioTAK score directly into emergency workflows will improve patient outcomes and safely reduce invasive procedures.[ScienceDaily]