RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Stress-induced Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is an acute cardiac syndrome, mimics ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), largely confined to postmenopausal women, frequently precipitated by a stressful event. The pathogenesis of TTC is still unknown. Some authors hypothesized a possible connection between TTC and anxiety disease, but no previous study analyzed the relationship between anxiety trait and TTC. This study sought to assess the potential role of anxiety trait in the development and clinical course of TTC. METHODS: We included in the present prospective case-control study 50 consecutive patients admitted to our Hospital with a diagnosis of TTC according to the Mayo Clinic criteria. Fifty control patients with anterior STEMI matched for clinical characteristics such as age, gender, and hypertension were selected. During the hospitalization, all patients were asked to complete the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scale for measuring self-reported trait anxiety (Trait-A). Outcome measures at follow-up were death, TTC recurrence, and rehospitalization. RESULTS: The mean value of STAI scale was 46 ± 12 in TTC patients and 45 ± 14 in STEMI patients (p = 0.815). High-anxiety trait (STAI scale value ≥ 40) was documented in 30 (60%) TTC patients and in 26 (52%) STEMI patients (p = 0.387). At multivariate analysis, predictors of TTC were lower peak creatine kinase value (HR 0.999; 95% CI 0.998-0.999; p = 0.018) and an antecedent stressful trigger event (HR 45.487; 95% CI 6.471-319.759; p = 0.001), but anxiety trait was not. There were no differences in outcome measures between TTC patients with or without high-anxiety trait. CONCLUSION: In TTC patients, high-anxiety trait is a common finding but it is not significantly more frequent than in patients with STEMI. Moreover, a high-anxiety trait seems to be neither associated with a worse clinical outcome nor a predictor of TTC. Our study do not support the routine evaluation of anxiety trait in patients with TTC.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos de Ansiedad/complicaciones , Cardiomiopatía de Takotsubo/complicaciones , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Angiografía Coronaria , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Infarto del Miocardio/complicaciones , Estudios Prospectivos , Pruebas PsicológicasRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Stress-induced or tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a rare acute cardiac syndrome characterized by transient left ventricular (LV) dysfunction of uncertain cause and outcome. This study sought to assess the long-term outcome of patients with TTC. METHODS: One-hundred sixteen consecutive patients were prospectively included in the study and observed at long-term follow-up. Primary end points were death, TTC recurrence, and hospitalization from any cause. RESULTS: Mean initial LV ejection fraction (LVEF) at admission was 36% ± 9%. Two patients died of refractory heart failure during hospitalization. Of the patients who were discharged alive all except one showed complete LV functional recovery. At follow-up (2.0 ± 1.3 years), only 64 (55%) patients were asymptomatic. Rehospitalization rate was high (25%), with chest pain (n = 6) and dyspnea (n = 5) as the most common causes. Only two patients had a recurrence of TTC. Eleven patients died (seven from cardiovascular cause). There was no significant difference in mortality (12% vs 7%; P = .284) and in the other clinical events between patients with and without severe LV dysfunction at presentation (LVEF ≤ 35%). Mortality observed in patients with TTC was compared with age and sex-specific mortality of the general population using the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) method. The SMR was 3.40 (95% CI, 1.83-6.34) in the TTC population. The only independent predictor of death at Cox analysis was Charlson comorbidity index (hazard ratio, 1.786; P = .0001), but the degree of initial LV dysfunction was not an independent predictor of death. CONCLUSIONS: The recurrence of TTC is rare, but recurrences of chest pain or dyspnea are common in patients with TTC and frequently lead to hospital readmission. Long-term mortality is higher as compared with the control general population and at least in part related to patients' comorbidities. Initial LV dysfunction severity does not seem to impact long-term event rates.
Asunto(s)
Hospitalización/estadística & datos numéricos , Cardiomiopatía de Takotsubo/etiología , Función Ventricular Izquierda/fisiología , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Masculino , Estudios Prospectivos , Recurrencia , Tasa de Supervivencia/tendencias , Cardiomiopatía de Takotsubo/mortalidad , Cardiomiopatía de Takotsubo/fisiopatología , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Persistent abnormalities are usually not detected in patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC). Since sympathetically mediated myocardial damage has been proposed as a causative mechanism of TTC, we explored whether mental stress could evoke abnormalities in these patients. METHODS: One month after an acute event, 22 patients fulfilling all TTC diagnostic criteria and 11 controls underwent resting and mental stress gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Perfusion, wall motion, transient ischaemic dilation (TID) and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) were evaluated. RESULTS: None of the controls showed stress-induced abnormalities. Mental stress evoked regional changes (perfusion defects and/or wall motion abnormality) in 16 TTC subjects and global abnormalities (LVEF fall >5% and/or TID >1.10) in 13; 3 had a completely negative response. TID, delta LVEF and delta wall motion score were significantly different in TTC vs control patients: 1.08 + or - 0.20 vs 0.95 + or - 0.11 (p < 0.05), -1.7 + or - 6% vs 4 + or - 5% (p < 0.02) and 2.5 (0, 4.25) vs 0 (0, 0) (p < 0.002), respectively. CONCLUSION: Mental stress may evoke regional and/or global abnormalities in most TTC patients. The abnormal response to mental stress supports the role of sympathetic stimulation in TTC. Mental stress could thus be helpful for TTC evaluation.