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Increased brain activity, caused by stressful events, is linked to the risk of developing rare and sometimes fatal heart disease, a new study suggests.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, found that the greater the activity of nerve cells in the amygdala region of the brain, the sooner the disease known as Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) can occur. develop.
“The study suggests that the increased neurobiological activity associated with stress in the amygdala, which is present years before TTS, may play an important role in its development and may predict the timing of the syndrome,” said researcher Ahmed Tawakol of Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States.
TTS, also known as “ broken heart ” syndrome, is characterized by a sudden temporary weakening of the heart muscles that causes the left ventricle of the heart to swell downward while the neck remains narrow, creating a shape resembling to a Japanese octopus trap, from which it takes its name.
Since this relatively rare condition was first described in 1990, evidence suggests that it is usually triggered by episodes of severe emotional distress, such as grief, anger or fear, or reactions to events. happy or cheerful.
Patients develop chest pain and shortness of breath, and this can lead to heart attacks and death. TTS is more common in women with only 10% of cases occurring in men.
The amygdala is the part of the brain that controls emotions, motivation, learning, and memory. It is also involved in the control of the autonomic nervous system and the regulation of heart function.
For the study, the team involved 104 participants whose patients underwent PET-CT between 2005 and 2019.
The researchers matched 41 people, who developed TTS between six months and five years after the scan, with 63 who did not. The interval between scan, onset of TT, last follow-up or death was on average (median) 2.5 years for the 104 patients.
Researchers found that people who developed TTS had higher stress-related tonsil activity during initial scanning (measured as a ratio of tonsil activity to activity in brain regions that counter stress) compared to people who have not subsequently developed TTS.
(With contributions from agencies)
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