Woman suffers rare case of 'broken heart syndrome' after mistaking wasabi for avocado (Photo courtesy of DigiPub via Getty Images)
Patient: 60-year-old woman from Be'er Sheva, Israel.
Symptoms: While eating at a wedding, a woman felt an unpleasant pressure in her chest, which then spread to her arms. This condition persisted for several hours, although the pain subsided enough that she decided to stay at the event. The next day, persistent chest pain, discomfort, and general malaise forced her to seek medical attention.
What happened next: Doctors in the emergency room performed an ultrasound and found unusual activity in the patient’s left ventricle, which is responsible for the organ’s main pumping function. Some areas of the heart muscle weren’t contracting at all, and contraction in other areas was reduced. The abnormality was described as “moderate to severe,” according to doctors.
Diagnosis: Doctors concluded that the woman had developed a condition known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome,” which causes symptoms similar to a heart attack, such as chest pain and difficulty breathing. “Takotsubo” is the name of a Japanese octopus can; the condition deforms the muscles of the left ventricle, giving it the appearance of a narrow-necked octopus can.
Treatment: The woman received steroids and blood pressure medications, including ACE inhibitors, which help relax arteries and veins, and beta blockers, which block the effects of stress hormones on the heart. Doctors referred her to a cardiac rehabilitation center. A month later, an echocardiogram showed that the patient's heart function had returned to normal.
What makes this case unique: Previous studies have linked takotsubo cardiomyopathy to drug use, neurological disorders, physical or emotional stress, and allergic reactions to certain foods. But in this case, the cause had never been documented before: Just minutes before the symptoms began, the woman mistook wasabi for avocado and swallowed a teaspoon-sized portion.
This is the first recorded case of wasabi consumption leading to broken heart syndrome. Although some compounds in wasabi likely have health benefits, such as anti-cancer agents, excessive consumption may have caused the woman to have a severe stress response, which in turn led to her heart not functioning properly.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
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TOPICS Diagnostic Dilemma
Mindy WeisbergerNavigate Social LinksLive Science Contributor
Mindy Weisberger is an editor at Scholastic who previously worked as an editor at Live Science and as a senior writer. She has covered a wide range of science topics, including climate change, paleontology, biology, and astronomy. Mindy studied film at Columbia University; before joining Live Science, she produced, wrote, and managed media for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Her videos about
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