Woman treated in hospital for 'broken heart syndrome' after mistaking wasabi for avocado

Condition typically prompted by extreme emotional stress, such as death of a loved one

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An Israeli woman who mistook wasabi for avocado at a wedding has been hospitalised with “broken heart syndrome”.

The 60-year-old woman’s case study, which was published in the British Medical Journal, states that she consumed a “large amount” of the spicy Japanese horseradish and swiftly starting experiencing chest pain.

The unidentified woman was then taken to the emergency department in hospital, where she was diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which is sometimes called broken heart syndrome because it is typically triggered by extreme emotional or physical stress, such as the death of a loved one. Other causes may include physical assault, recent surgery or an asthma attack.

The patient was treated in hospital with beta-blockers to help lower her blood pressure.

According to the case study, this is the first case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy to have been triggered by wasabi consumption.

The British Heart Foundation states that the condition, which prompts your heart muscles to suddenly weaken, can occur at any age but usually affects women more than men.

Symptoms can include chest pain, breathlessness and palpitations.

It’s not the first time a case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy has made headlines.

In 2016, fans suspected the condition was the cause of death for actor Debbie Reynolds, who died one day after her daughter, When Harry Met Sally star, Carrie Fisher, with whom she was very close.