University of Zurich researchers develop BioTAK score for broken-heart syndrome

An international research team, including scientists from the University of Zurich and the University of Greifswald, has developed a new diagnostic tool called the BioTAK score to identify Takotsubo syndrome, commonly known as “broken-heart syndrome.”

Takotsubo syndrome is an acute heart condition often triggered by severe emotional or physical stress. It is frequently difficult to distinguish from a traditional heart attack because both present with chest pain and similar electrocardiogram changes. However, unlike a heart attack, Takotsubo syndrome does not involve blocked coronary arteries. Currently, patients often require invasive cardiac catheterization to differentiate the two conditions.

The BioTAK score utilizes artificial intelligence to combine biological sex with specific blood biomarkers to predict the syndrome. In an independent validation study involving nearly 1,800 patients, the score correctly classified nearly 90 percent of participants before invasive procedures were performed. Researchers noted that the biomarkers, such as peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), also provide insight into the biological processes that distinguish this syndrome from classic heart attacks.