New BioTAK score uses sex and blood markers to spot Takotsubo syndrome before invasive testing
Researchers unveiled the BioTAK score, which blends biological sex with blood biomarkers to differentiate Takotsubo syndrome from heart attacks before catheterisation, achieving about 90% accuracy in a study of nearly 1,800 patients.
An international team led by the University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich and the University Medical Center Greifswald has created the BioTAK score, a diagnostic algorithm that merges biological sex with several circulating biomarkers to distinguish Takotsubo syndrome from classic myocardial infarction before cardiac catheterisation. In an independent validation cohort of close to 1,800 patients, the score correctly identified the condition in about 90% of cases, offering a non-invasive alternative to routine invasive testing.
Two newly identified proteins in the score point to a brain-heart axis and plaque-stability pathways, indicating disease mechanisms distinct from atherosclerosis. Co-first authors Florian A. Wenzl and Victor Schweiger stress the potential for earlier, more accurate diagnosis, while co-last authors Thomas Lüscher and Christian Templin note the tool is meant to complement, not replace, catheterisation when clinically necessary.
Further research will evaluate whether routine implementation improves outcomes. The results were published in the European Heart Journal.
Why it matters
It may reduce unnecessary heart catheter procedures and enable faster, accurate treatment for stress-related cardiac events.
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