Join A Study

Broken Heart Study-II


We are currently recruiting adults age 18 or older for the Broken Heart Study-II:


To be eligible, participants must:

– Have had a recent (1 month) diagnosis of Takotsubo syndrome 

– Be able to speak and understand English 

Participation involves the completion of three in-person study visits at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, RI.

If You Have Recently Been Diagnosed With Takotsubo Syndrome And Would Like To Help, Please Call Us At 401-793-8233 Or Email Us At brokenheart@lifespan.org

What is the Broken Heart Syndrome?

Takotsubo Syndrome (TS), also known as “Broken Heart Syndrome” is a condition often triggered by acute stressful or emotional events. It usually affects women after menopause, but it occurs also (although less frequently) in men.

We designed this project to systematically study the triggers of this condition, to determine whether people with this condition are unusually responsive to stress, and to evaluate whether a greater response to stress puts patients at risk of having another TS episode or a heart attack. 

This project is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Learn More About Takotsubo

Broke Heart Study Update

Mind Your Heart Study-II


We are currently recruiting adults age 18 or older for the Mind Your Heart Study-II


To be eligible, participants must:

– Have a documented diagnosis of Heart Failure

– Have access to a telephone

– Be able to understand and speak English or Spanish

Participation involves the completion of three in-person study visits at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, RI.

If you have been diagnosed with heart failure and are interested in participating in the Mind Your Heart Study 2, please call us at 401-793-8233 or email us at mindyourheart@lifespan.org

Heart Failure (HF) is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in the United States; effective self-care is vital to the long-term management of the disease.  However, mild cognitive impairment is present in two thirds of HF patients and constitutes an important challenge to self-care maintenance.

This study is designed to investigate how mindfulness training can improve cognitive function, interoceptive awareness and effective Heart Failure self-care among individuals with co-morbid Heart Failure and Cognitive Impairment and to study the pathway connecting mindfulness training, cardiac vagal control and cognitive function. 

This project is funded by the National Institute on Aging.

Access To The Mindfulness Recording

NOTE: You must be enrolled in the study and be randomly assigned to the Mindfulness Training group OR be assigned to the Usual Care group AND have completed your 9 Month Follow-up appointment to have access to the recordings.

Mind 2 Move


We will start recruiting participants soon…

In collaboration with our colleagues at the Harvard Medical School (Dr. Gloria Yeh and her group) we will study whether a remote Tai Chi intervention, integrated with wearable technology, can improve the ability to exercise in people who have had a heart attack and are not physically active.