Experts have warned that symptoms of menopause may be masking the signs of deadly 'broken heart syndrome' – a little-known condition that can trigger stroke.

While the feeling of a racing heart is associated with the hormonal change, it is also a red flag for the life-threatening disease that damages the organ's muscle, and doctors say is underdiagnosed.

Scientists warn that the symptoms of 'broken heart syndrome' – officially known as Takotsubo syndrome – can also mimic a heart attack, leading to further confusion among medics.

In a fresh warning, Dr Benedicta Quaye, anatomy lecturer at Lancaster University, warned that heart palpitations 'should not automatically be attributed to hormonal changes'.

'New, persistent or worsening palpitations should be assessed by a healthcare professional,' she wrote in The Conversation.

'Palpitations that do not go away or occur with chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint or fainting require urgent medical help.'

She added that, because Takotsubo and a heart attack can look 'almost identical' at first, patients are often given the wrong treatment.

'The acute episode can cause heart failure, blood clots, stroke, shock or cardiac arrest,' she said. 

Broken heart syndrome is a real, little–known condition that can be life–threatening – and older women are most at risk

The condition causes a sudden, usually temporary, change in the way part of the heart muscle contracts limiting the organ's ability to pump oxygen around the body.

In many cases this does not lead to permanent damage. But in some, it can cause severe muscle weakness leading to a host of complications including stroke, heart failure, irregular heartbeats and even deadly cardiac arrest – when the heart suddenly stops beating.

The syndrome can be triggered by intense emotional stress such as financial worries or the loss of a loved one.

In one previous case, researchers found that a mother developed the condition after an emotional argument with her daughter.

However, it can also be brought on by physical injuries, surgery or serious illness.

Experts have said the condition has shown the 'strongest interaction' between mental and physical health that they have ever seen.

But many women may be living with broken heart syndrome without even realising it.

The condition is rare – affecting around 5,000 people in the UK, and Dr Quaye suggests the majority of patients are women aged between 67 and 70.

This means most diagnoses are made in postmenopausal women, although experts say it can also occur before menopause.

According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), only recently was broken heart syndrome distinguished as a separate problem to a heart attack.

A heart attack, which strikes someone in Britain every five minutes, occurs when the heart muscle cannot receive oxygen because blood flow is blocked by a narrowed or clogged coronary artery.

The most common cause of this is coronary artery disease, when cholesterol and fatty substances build up in the arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart.

Heart attacks have been associated with perimenopause because hormonal changes can contribute to rising cholesterol levels.

Menopause also causes levels of oestrogen – one of the body's main female sex hormones – to fall.

Lower oestrogen has been linked to a greater risk of heart attacks because it can encourage fatty substances to build up in the arteries but Dr Quaye says a clear link between oestrogen and broken heart syndrome has not been established.

Like heart attacks, broken heart syndrome also affects the heart muscle, though this is not believed to be caused by a cholesterol blockage.

People with the condition are largely believed to have normal arteries and do not suffer with severe blockages or clots.

According to the BHF, the exact cause of the curious condition remains unknown.

But their experts say it may be related to a 'rush of overwhelming stress hormones' such as cortisol or adrenaline.

To distinguish between a heart attack and broken heart syndrome, doctors often need to carry out several tests to make the correct diagnosis.

These tests investigate how the heart is pumping, as well as the condition of the arteries and heart muscle.

Until the results are available, doctors typically treat patients as though they are having a heart attack to ensure they receive immediate care.  

Research funded by the BHF has shown that some patients continue to experience symptoms four months after experiencing broken heart syndrome, including extreme fatigue, breathlessness and chest pains.

Other studies have found the heart muscle is swollen for months after the episode and there is inflammation in the heart and body.

Experts believe applying the same recovery treatments to that of a heart attack will not be useful because the conditions work in different ways.

Currently, treatments involve administering diuretics – medications that can help breathlessness – as well as beta blockers, which can reduce pressure on the heart.

Blood thinning drugs are also sometimes used to reduce the risk of blood clots.

Scientists have been investigating whether the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to detect inflammation may be a useful way to understand future treatments.

They have also explored whether drugs that improve the heart's energy production could offer a way to treat the condition.