BOSTON -- Local doctors have been investigating a heart condition that is more common in women than men.

As NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Thursday, it's a puzzling disease that mimics a heart attack.

Lee Weaver will never forget what happened on a very hot day July 9, 2008.

"I got really dizzy," said Weaver, of Acton, Mass.

She ended up being rushed to Emerson Hospital.

"Well, they thought I was presenting with a full, massive heart attack," she said.

But a test at Lahey Clinic, in Burlington, Mass., revealed Weaver had takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Doctors say it mimics a heart attack, and targets mostly post menopausal women who have gone through a stressful event, such as the death of a loved one or a loss of a job.

"Patients present with chest discomfort. They have an EKG that looks like a run-of-the-mill heart attack," said Dr. Richard Nesto, Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Lahey Clinic. "Then when you take pictures of the patient's heart, unlike a traditional heart attack, there's no blockage of the heart."

And yet, Nesto said the heart of a takotsubo patient shows signs of damage. He said the heart muscle takes on an odd shape, a clear sign of takotsubo.

"The heart has a form of damage when you take a picture of it that resembles the shape of this octopus trap," he said. "And the word takotsubo means octopus pot, or a trap that is used to catch ocotopi."

Even though the syndrome can take doctors and patients by surprise, Nesto said the prognosis in most cases is very good.

"There's a 95 percent chance of a full recovery," he said. "In Lee Weaver's case, her heart muscle rebounded remarkably fast."

Nesto said patients with takotsubo are treated with medication, but most of their hearts recover on their own.