Etiologies, predictors, and economic impact of readmission within 1 month among patients with takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Reverse Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the setting of small bowel obstruction: a case report

Introduction and importance

Stress cardiomyopathy refers to a syndrome of acute but reversible left ventricular dysfunction, often triggered by emotional or physical stress. Reverse Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an uncommon variant that occurs in about 5% of cases. Classically, it has been known to be following a catecholamine surge due to physical or emotional stress. This case highlights the importance for physicians to be aware of the possibility of developing stress cardiomyopathy in patients with acute intra-abdominal processes.

Case presentation

Forty-one-year-old Caucasian female with was admitted with an acute small bowel obstruction. After failing conservative management, it was decided to proceed with surgery. After induction with anesthesia but prior to the surgeons first incision, the patient developed a tachyarrhythmia with hemodynamic compromise requiring the surgery to be aborted. That evening, she developed chest pain with concerns for an acute coronary syndrome. She was taken urgently to the for invasive angiography, which demonstrated reverse Takotsubo.

Clinical discussion

Intra-abdominal processes and intubation have previously been reported be catalyst for this disease process. This patient had multiple stressors including mechanical bowel obstruction and anesthesia after failing conservative management. The diagnosis was confirmed by coronary angiography and left ventriculogram, and followed up with repeat outpatient echocardiography.

Conclusion

A case of small bowel obstruction that developed reverse Takotsubo preceded by sustained ventricular tachycardia after intubation. The patient did well and had complete recovery cardiac function. Risk factors and underlining mechanism for the different variants of stress cardiomyopathy are not well understood, further investigation is warranted.

Heart rate variability alterations in takotsubo syndrome and related association with psychological factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Psychological factors may have a precipitant role in takotsubo syndrome (TS). Aberrant Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been reported in TS, suggesting inflexibility of the autonomous nervous system. Nevertheless, results on HRV alterations and their link with psychological factors in TS are conflicting. This work aimed to systematically explore whether TS may be associated with HRV alterations and their association with specific psychological profiles in TS patients. A literature search was conducted across databases (Pubmed, Scopus, PsycInfo, Web of Science) and empirical studies including TS patients which were evaluated in one or more HRV indices were retrieved. HRV and psychological outcomes were extracted. 10 empirical studies with 194 TS patients were included. Results showed significant alteration of HRV in TS patients, with indices compared to controls, and a progressive increase over time. Nevertheless, retrieved data presented mixed results, as also shown by a large heterogeneity in the meta-analytic findings. 2 studies found significant relationships between HRV alterations and trait-rather than state-psychological outcomes (i.e., coping strategies and emotional arousal), pointing to the need to explore the role of psychological vulnerabilities, rather than single traumatic stressors, in the association between HRV and TS.

Role of serum cytokines in the prediction of heart failure in patients with coronary artery disease

AIMS

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of heart failure (HF). This study aimed to identify cytokine biomarkers for predicting HF in patients with CAD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Twelve patients with CAD without HF (CAD-non HF), 12 patients with CAD complicated with HF (CAD-HF), and 12 healthy controls were enrolled for Human Cytokine Antibody Array, which were used as the training dataset. Then, differentially expressed cytokines among the different groups were identified, and crucial characteristic proteins related to CAD-HF were screened using a combination of the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, recursive feature elimination, and random forest methods. A support vector machine (SVM) diagnostic model was constructed based on crucial characteristic proteins, followed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Finally, two validation datasets, GSE20681 and GSE59867, were downloaded to verify the diagnostic performance of the SVM model and expression of crucial proteins, as well as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was also used to verify the levels of crucial proteins in blood samples. In total, 12 differentially expressed proteins were overlapped in the three comparison groups, and then four optimal characteristic proteins were identified, including VEGFR2, FLRG, IL-23, and FGF-21. After that, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the constructed SVM classification model for the training dataset was 0.944. The accuracy of the SVM classification model was validated using the GSE20681 and GSE59867 datasets, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.773 and 0.745, respectively. The expression trends of the four crucial proteins in the training dataset were consistent with those in the validation dataset and those determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of VEGFR2, FLRG, IL-23, and FGF-21 can be used as a candidate biomarker for the prediction and prevention of HF in patients with CAD.

Relationship between Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Composite Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized with Takotsubo Syndrome: A Nationwide Analysis

The association of traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors with outcomes of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is not well-defined. This study examined how modifiable CVD risk factors affect composite cardiovascular outcomes in TTS hospitalizations. TTS admissions were identified using ICD-10 codes and compared for demographics and comorbidities using the 2019 National Inpatient Sample. A multivariable regression examined the association of traditional CVD risk variables with adverse composite cardiovascular outcomes in TTS, controlling for confounders including sociodemographic or hospital-level characteristics and other relevant comorbidities. A total of 16,055 (38.1%) of the 41,855 adult TTS admissions had composite cardiovascular outcomes (TACCO). The TACCO cohort was 81.5% white, 77.3% female, and 72 years old. This group had higher rates of diabetes and peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The results showed that a higher prevalence of diabetes with chronic complications (OR = 1.18) and complicated hypertension (HTN) (OR = 1.1) predicted TACCO, whereas tobacco use disorder (OR = 0.84), hyperlipidemia (OR = 0.76), and uncomplicated HTN (OR = 0.65) (p < 0.001) showed a paradoxical effect with TACCO. TACCO had fewer routine discharges (35.3% vs. 63.4%), longer stays (6 vs. 3 days), and higher median hospital costs (78,309 USD vs. 44,966 USD). This population-based study found that complicated HTN and DM with chronic complications are strongly associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in TTS hospitalizations. But still, some risk factors, such as hyperlipidemia and uncomplicated HTN, have counterintuitive effects that require further evaluation. To prevent cardiac events in TTS patients, traditional CVD risk factors must be addressed.

Mortality of patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction without standard modifiable risk factors among patients without known coronary artery disease: Age-stratified and sex-related analysis from nationwide readmissions database 2010-2014

Objective

The proportion of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients without standard modifiable risk factors (SMuRFs: hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and smoking) has increased over time. The absence of SMuRFs is known to be associated with worse outcomes, but its association with age and sex is uncertain. We sought to evaluate the association between age and sex with the outcomes of post-STEMI patients without SMuRFs among patients without preexisting coronary artery disease.

Methods

Patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI were identified from the Nationwide Readmission Database of the United States. Clinical characteristics, in-hospital, and 30-day outcomes in patients with or without SMuRFs were compared in men versus women and stratified into five age groups.

Results

Between January 2010 and November 2014, of 474,234 patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI, 52,242 (11.0%) patients did not have SMuRFs. Patients without SMuRFs had higher in-hospital mortality rates than those with SMuRFs. Among those without SMuRFs, the in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in women than men (10.6% vs 7.3%, p<0.001), particularly in older age groups. The absence of SMuRFs was associated with higher 30-day readmission-related mortality rates (0.5% vs 0.3% with SMuRFs, p<0.001). Among patients without SMuRFs, women had a higher 30-day readmission-related mortality rates than men (0.6% vs 0.4%, p<0.001). After multivariable adjustment, the increased rates of in-hospital (odds ratio 1.89 (95% CI 1.72 to 2.07) and 30-day readmission-related mortality (hazard ratio 1.30 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.67)) in patients without SMuRFs remained significant.

Conclusions

STEMI patients without SMuRFs have a significantly higher risk of in-hospital and 30-day mortality than those with SMuRFs. Women and older patients without SMuRFs experienced significantly higher in-hospital and 30-day readmission-related mortality.

"Obesity paradox" and takotsubo syndrome

Background

An "obesity paradox" has been reported in patients with hypertension and heart failure, in which obese patients fare better than patients with normal-weight. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an "obesity paradox" in patients with takotsubo syndrome (TTS).

Methods

The prevalence of obesity in databases/registries of patients with TTS was compared to the prevalence of obesity in world general populations. Obese patients with TTS were explored regarding the stress triggers precipitating the illness, hospital outcome, and post-discharge readmission. Finally, the literature on the "obesity paradox" was explored to understand how it could be applied to TTS.

Results

A prevalence of obesity of ∼10-11% has been reported in large cohorts of patients with TTS, which represents 1/3 to ¼ of the prevalence reported in worldwide general populations, suggesting that, normal-weight than obese individuals, are more predisposed to develop TTS, with the latter nevertheless also suffering TTS, when triggered by enormous physical stresses. Obese patients with TTS are likely to have milder hospital outcomes, lower mortality, and lower rate of early readmission. A greater sympathetic nervous system (SNS) response in a number of hyperadrenergic states in normal-weight than obese patients, may explain findings in patients with TTS.

Conclusions

An "obesity paradox" has been identified in patients with TTS. Reporting on body mass index and other markers of obesity in patients with TTS, and implementing some recommendations on monitoring noninvasively the SNS in patients with TTS, may solidify that obesity has a preventive/ameliorating effect for TTS development and its clinical course.

Pathophysiology of stress cardiomyopathy: A comprehensive literature review

Introduction

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a transient type of acute heart failure with distinct wall motion abnormalities and unclear pathophysiology. This review focuses on the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms that could be involved in the occurrence takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Main body

Acute stress and subsequent excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system are major factors in the pathophysiology of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The high levels of catecholamine work in a triggering manner, generate reactive oxygen species, release inflammatory cytokines, and induce endothelial injury. The incidence of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has increased following COVID-19 infection and vaccination, which suggests that neurohormonal and psychological factors (i.e., fear and anxiety of infection or vaccination) may have an additional role in the pathophysiology. In addition, inflammatory state, cytokine storm, augmented sympathetic activity, and endothelial dysfunction during the acute phase of COVID-19 infection may participate in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Chronic stress is also linked to this complex mechanism by accelerating cripple of endocrinal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, which influences the cortisol effect on releasing catecholamine, which is directly related to the pathogenesis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Conclusion

The excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system and subsequent high levels of catecholamines could initiate the process. The catecholamines, in turn, generate reactive oxygen species and release inflammatory cytokines (i.e., IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, CXCL1, TNF-α, and IFN-γ), which causes endothelial injury.

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The excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system is the major drive for Stress Cardiomyopathy.

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Catecholamines are responsible for the subsequent endothelial injury.

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IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, CXCL1, TNF-α, and IFN-γ are the major cytokines involved in Stress Cardiomyopathy.

The impact of comorbid severe mental illness and common chronic physical health conditions on hospitalisation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

People with severe mental illness (SMI) are at higher risk of physical health conditions compared to the general population, however, the impact of specific underlying health conditions on the use of secondary care by people with SMI is unknown. We investigated hospital use in people managed in the community with SMI and five common physical long-term conditions: cardiovascular diseases, COPD, cancers, diabetes and liver disease.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis (Prospero: CRD42020176251) using terms for SMI, physical health conditions and hospitalisation. We included observational studies in adults under the age of 75 with a diagnosis of SMI who were managed in the community and had one of the physical conditions of interest. The primary outcomes were hospital use for all causes, physical health causes and related to the physical condition under study. We performed random-effects meta-analyses, stratified by physical condition.

RESULTS

We identified 5,129 studies, of which 50 were included: focusing on diabetes (n = 21), cardiovascular disease (n = 19), COPD (n = 4), cancer (n = 3), liver disease (n = 1), and multiple physical health conditions (n = 2). The pooled odds ratio (pOR) of any hospital use in patients with diabetes and SMI was 1.28 (95%CI:1.15-1.44) compared to patients with diabetes alone and pooled hazard ratio was 1.19 (95%CI:1.08-1.31). The risk of 30-day readmissions was raised in patients with SMI and diabetes (pOR: 1.18, 95%CI:1.08-1.29), SMI and cardiovascular disease (pOR: 1.27, 95%CI:1.06-1.53) and SMI and COPD (pOR:1.18, 95%CI: 1.14-1.22) compared to patients with those conditions but no SMI.

CONCLUSION

People with SMI and five physical conditions are at higher risk of hospitalisation compared to people with that physical condition alone. Further research is warranted into the combined effects of SMI and physical conditions on longer-term hospital use to better target interventions aimed at reducing inappropriate hospital use and improving disease management and outcomes.

Thirty-Day Readmission Rates after Takotsubo Syndrome with or without Malignancy: A Nationwide Readmissions Database Analysis

The association between malignancy and readmission after Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) hospitalization has not been fully described. We sought to examine the rates, cause, and cost of 30-day readmissions of TTS, with or without malignancy, by utilizing Nationwide Readmissions Databases from 2010 to 2014. We identified 61,588 index hospitalizations for TTS. TTS patients with malignancy tended to be older (70.6 ± 0.2 vs. 66.1 ± 0.1, p < 0.001), and the overall burden of comorbidities was higher than in those without malignancy. TTS patients with malignancy had significantly higher 30-day readmission rates than those without malignancy (15.9% vs. 11.0%; odds ratio (OR), 1.35; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18–1.56). Non-cardiac causes were the most common causes of readmission for TTS patients with malignancy versus without malignancy (75.5% vs. 68.1%, p < 0.001). The 30-day readmission rate due to recurrent TTS was very low in both groups (0.4% and 0.5%; p = 0.47). The total costs were higher by 25% (p < 0.001) in TTS patients with vs. without malignancy. In summary, among patients hospitalized with TTS, the presence of malignancy was associated with increased risk of 30-day readmission and increased costs. These findings highlight the importance of optimized management for TTS patients with malignancy.

Conventional cardiovascular risk factors associated with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: A comprehensive review

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM), characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction, was first reported in Japan in 1990. Current research suggests that TCM can be affected by conventional cardiovascular factors such as hypertension (HTN), diabetes, hyperlipidemia (HLD), and obesity. Despite the increasing interest in this disease, research on TCM remains limited. Conventional cardiovascular factors are clinically related to the outcome of TCM. We reviewed the publications published in PubMed database between January 01 2010 and January 15 2021, and summarized the most current available evidence on the correlation between TCM and the conventional cardiovascular factors. TCM patients are predominantly postmenopausal women. Men and young patients are less commonly seen, but are prone to acute adverse complications and poor prognosis. HTN is common in patients with recurrent TCM. Existing evidence suggests that obesity and chronic kidney disease are related to poor prognosis in TCM. HLD is reported to be associated with fewer complications, though current evidence is limited. Finally, the relationship between diabetes and TCM prognosis is ambivalent. Current evidence suggests conventional cardiovascular risk factors are associated with the outcome of TCM, especially with mortality and complications. More prospective studies are needed to clarify the relationship between each risk factor and the prognosis of TCM.

Utility of ICD Codes for Stress Cardiomyopathy in Hospital Administrative Databases: What Do They Signify?

Prior studies of stress cardiomyopathy (SCM) have used International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes to identify patients in administrative databases without evaluating the validity of these codes. Between 2010 and 2016, we identified 592 patients discharged with a first known principal or secondary ICD code for SCM in our medical system. On chart review, 580 charts had a diagnosis of SCM (positive predictive value 98%; 95% CI: 96.4-98.8), although 38 (6.4%) did not have active clinical manifestations of SCM during the hospitalization. Moreover, only 66.8% underwent cardiac catheterization and 91.5% underwent echocardiography. These findings suggest that, although all but a few hospitalized patients with an ICD code for SCM had a diagnosis of SCM, some of these were chronic cases, and numerous patients with a new diagnosis of SCM did not undergo a complete diagnostic workup. Researchers should be mindful of these limitations in future studies involving administrative databases.

Comparing the variants of takotsubo syndrome: an observational study of the ECG and structural changes from a New Zealand tertiary hospital

OBJECTIVES

In takotsubo syndrome, QTc prolongation is a measure of risk of potentially fatal arrhythmia. It is not known how this risk, or derangement of other markers, differs across the echo variants of takotsubo syndrome. Therefore, we sought to explore whether apical takotsubo syndrome differs from the variants of the syndrome in more ways than just regional wall motion pattern. As the region of affected myocardium is usually larger, we hypothesised that patients with the classic apical ballooning form of takotsubo syndrome would have more severe derangement of their markers.

DESIGN

Observational study of patients gathered from a prospective database (2010-2018) and by retrospective review (2006-2009).

SETTING

The sole tertiary hospital from a New Zealand region in which case clusters of takotsubo syndrome were precipitated by large earthquakes in 2010, 2011 and 2016.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 222 patients who met a modified version of the Mayo criteria for takotsubo syndrome were included. All patients had digitally archived echocardiograms that were over-read by a second echocardiologist blinded to the clinical report.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Ejection fraction, peak troponin and QTc interval.

RESULTS

Patients with the apical form were older (p=0.011), had a lower initial left ventricular ejection fraction (35% vs 44%, p<0.0001) and a higher peak high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) (p=0.01) than those with variant forms. There was no difference in the electrical abnormalities between the variants (QTc interval, heart rate, PR interval, QRS duration or T-wave axis). There was also no correlation between any of peak hsTnI, peak QTc and ejection fraction. QTc interval increased on day 2 and peaked on day 3 before falling steeply (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The variants of takotsubo syndrome differ in more ways than just their echo pattern but do not differ in their electrical abnormalities. There is a dissociation between the structural and electrical abnormalities. QTc peaks on day 3 and then falls steeply.

Does obesity affect the outcomes in takotsubo cardiomyopathy? Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, 2010-2014

BACKGROUND

Obesity can lead to increased oxidative stress which is one of the proposed mechanisms in the etiopathogenesis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM).

HYPOTHESIS

The presence of obesity adversely impacts clinical outcomes in TCM patients.

METHODS

We queried the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (2010-2014) to identify adult patients admitted with a principal diagnosis of TCM with and without obesity. We compared the categorical and continuous variables by Pearson χ² and Student t test, respectively, in propensity-score matched cohorts.

RESULTS

The study cohort comprised 612 obese TCM (weighted n = 3034) and 5696 nonobese TCM (weighted n = 28 186) patients. Obese TCM patients were more often younger and private-insurance enrollees. Cardiac complications including acute myocardial infarction (9.0% vs 7.4%; P = 0.04), cardiac arrest (2.3% vs. 0.4%; P < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (4.3% vs. 3.2%; P = 0.03), congestive heart failure (5.0% vs. 3.8%; P = 0.02), respiratory failure (12.9% vs. 11.0%; P = 0.021) and use of mechanical hemodynamic support (Impella; 0.2% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.02) were significantly higher among obese TCM patients. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in all-cause mortality (1.0% vs. 0.8%; P = 0.35), arrhythmia (24.5% vs. 22.7%, P = 0.123), length of stay (3.7 ±3.5 vs. 3.7 ±3.6 days; P = 0.68), and total hospital charges ($40 780.16 vs. $42 575.14; P = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS

Obese TCM patients were more susceptible to developing TCM-related cardiac complications than were nonobese TCM patients, without any impact on all-cause in-hospital mortality, LOS, and hospital charges.

Etiologies, predictors, and economic impact of readmission within 1 month among patients with takotsubo cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

Limited data exist on readmission among patients with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC), a commonly reversible cause of heart failure.

HYPOTHESIS

We sought to identify etiologies and predictors for readmission among TC patients.

METHODS

We queried the National Readmissions Database for 2013-2014 to identify patients with primary admission for TC using ICD-9-CM code 429.83. Patients readmitted to hospital within 1 month after discharge were further evaluated to identify etiologies, predictors, and resultant economic burden of readmission. Additionally, we analyzed readmission for TC at 6 months.

RESULTS

We studied 5997 patients admitted with TC, of whom 1.2% experienced in-hospital mortality. Median age was 67 years, with 91.5% being female. Among survivors, 10.3% were readmitted within 1 month; 25% of the initial 1-month readmissions occurred within 4 days, 50% within 10 days, and 75% within 20 days from discharge. The most common etiologies for readmission were cardiac (26%), respiratory (16%), and gastrointestinal (11%) causes. Heart failure was the most common cardiac etiology. Significant predictors of increased 1-month readmission included systemic thromboembolic events, length of stay ≥3 days, and underlying psychoses. Obesity and private insurance predicted lower 1-month readmission. The annual national cost impact for index admission and 1-month readmissions was ≈$112 million. Recurrent TC was seen among 1.9% of patients readmitted within 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Though the overall rate of 1-month readmission following TC is low, associated economic burden from readmission is still significant. Patients are readmitted mostly for noncardiac causes. Readmission for another episode of TC within 6 months was uncommon.