Broken-heart syndrome is a dangerous disorder that causes chest pain, breathlessness and low blood pressure. Most patients recover, but research shows that the condition can scar and weaken the heart muscles. It is known formally as takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The medical world recognises it as a temporary condition where sudden emotional upset or other physical stress can cause the apical ballooning of the heart’s left ventricle. It distorts and enlarges so that it’s narrowed at the top and swells outwards at the bottom. The Japanese word ‘takotsubo’ is the name of an octopus trap with a
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