Journal Article

Clinical Profile of Patients With High-Risk Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy

Lesser, John R., Maron, Barry J., Pink, Victoria R., Sharkey, Scott W., Maron, Martin S., Garberich, Ross F.

2015

Overview

Although tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is regarded as a reversible condition with favorable outcome, a malignant clinical course evolves in some subjects. In this single-institution experience, we describe the clinical profile of patients with adverse TTC outcome. A cohort of 249 consecutive patients with TTC was interrogated for those with acute unstable presentation during the first 24 hours. Forty-seven patients (19%) experienced early complicated clinical course with cardiac arrest in 9 (ventricular fibrillation, n = 4, pulseless electrical activity, n = 3, and asystole, n = 2) or marked hypotension in 38 (systolic blood pressure ≤90 mm Hg requiring vasopressors and/or balloon pump). Of the 47 patients, Killip class III to IV heart failure was present in 30 (64%). Despite treatment, 8 patients (3%; all women) died inhospital due to respiratory failure, cardiogenic shock, or anoxic brain injury. All 8 inhospital deaths occurred among the 47 patients with unstable presentation, including 2 after cardiac arrest and 6 with marked hypotension. Post-TTC event mortality for a period of 4.7 ± 3.4 years significantly exceeded that in a matched general US population (standardized mortality ratio 1.4; 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 1.9; p = 0.005) largely due to noncardiac co-morbidities. In conclusion, contrary to widespread perception, TTC is not an entirely benign and reversible condition. Among this large cohort, a high-risk subgroup was identified with cardiac arrest or hemodynamic instability, accounting for all hospital deaths. Hospital nonsurvivors had a variety of irreversible co-morbid conditions with the potential to compromise clinical status and adversely affect short-term survival. Long-term survival after hospital discharge was also reduced compared with the general population because of noncardiac co-morbidities.

• Publisher: Elsevier Inc,Elsevier Limited
• Subject: Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Cardiology / Cardiovascular / Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / Echocardiography / Electrocardiography / Female / Heart attacks / Heart Failure - diagnosis / Heart Failure - epidemiology / Heart Failure - etiology / Hospital Mortality - trends / Humans / Incidence / Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Male / Medical imaging / Middle Aged / Minnesota - epidemiology / Prognosis / Registries / Risk Assessment - methods / Risk Factors / Shock, Cardiogenic - diagnosis / Shock, Cardiogenic - epidemiology / Shock, Cardiogenic - etiology / Survival Rate - trends / Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy - complications / Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy - diagnosis / Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy - mortality / Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - diagnosis / Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - epidemiology / Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - etiology