At a wedding, a 60-year-old woman, who was probably hungry (and had a little too much to drink) mistook the very spicy condiment for the fruit.
Discover our latest podcast
Sure, they're both green - we'll give her that - but they're also quite different. After eating the wasabi, the hungry woman, who had started to feel sick but decided to stay at the wedding anyway, felt a sudden pressure in her chest.
On the following day, the sexagenarian felt weakness, so she decided to go to the doctor. And the results were as shocking as this story. Indeed, the patient was suffering from Takotsubo Syndrome (ST) also known as stress cardiomyopathy, or more commonly, 'broken heart syndrome.' This condition is usually brought on by strong emotions (sadness or stress). As a consequence, the patient's left ventricle was temporarily weakened.
What is Takotsubo syndrome?
It was first reported in 1991. At the time, doctors believed it was "just" a heart attack because the symptoms are similar. However, Takotsubo syndrome is caused by a left ventricular myocardial deformation. It causes the heart to pump too little blood through the body. On the other hand, a heart attack is caused by the obstruction of a coronary artery.
All's well that ends well
The good news is that the woman recovered from the scare (and the syndrome) after a month of treatment. People who suffer from this condition usually make a full recovery, but it can cause serious damage to the heart. The medical team whose research was published in BMJ Case Reports states: "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy triggered by wasabi consumption."
