Around the early 1990s, Japanese researchers first described how strong emotional or physical stresses can cause an sometimes temporary, sometimes lethal heart disease called broken heart syndrome or takotsubo cardiomyopathy .
For cardiomyopathy - whose literal meaning of the term is "heart muscle disease" - means any anatomical modification of the myocardium that has negative repercussions on a functional level, with sometimes even very serious consequences on the functioning of the heart.
Indeed, those who suffer from cardiomyopathy have a weak and less effective heart in its blood pumping action.
But where does the curious name of takotsubo cardiomyopathy come from?
Takotsubo is a Japanese word and refers to a kind of pot / basket used by Japanese fishermen to catch octopuses.
It is used to indicate broken heart syndrome, because, to echocardiographic or MRI images, the left ventricle takes on a form very similar to this particular fishing tool.
