Incidence and Clinical Impact of Right Ventricular Involvement (Biventricular Ballooning) in Takotsubo Syndrome: Results From the GEIST Registry

Prognostic role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in Takotsubo syndrome: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is characterized by transient myocardial dysfunction with outcomes ranging from favorable to life-threatening. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as an essential tool in its diagnosis and management and is consistently recommended by current guidelines in the diagnostic work-up. However, the prognostic value of CMR in patients with TS remains undetermined. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of CMR in managing patients with TS.

METHOD

PubMed, MEDLINE via Ovid, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify studies reporting the prognostic role of multiparameteric CMR in patients with TS with a follow-up ≥ 12 months. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as all-cause mortality, cardiac death, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, recurrence of TS, and cerebrovascular events.

RESULTS

Five studies with 564 patients were included for reporting correlation of CMR parameters with MACCE. Primary endpoint occurred in 69 (12%) patients. Among the CMR parameters assessed, myocardial strain parameters (including measurements of the left atrium, left and right ventricle), right ventricle involvement, and a CMR-based radiomics model demonstrated correlations with MACCE. Additionally, one study showed the predictive ability of a CMR score.

CONCLUSION

The current systematic review suggests that CMR may offer prognostic insights in TS patients, underscoring its potential clinical utility for integration into clinical practice. However, scarce data are currently available; hence, further research is needed.

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction/hypertrophic cardiomyopathy/takotsubo syndrome: A new hypothesis of takotsubo syndrome pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of TTS is still elusive. This viewpoint proposes that TTS is an acute coronary syndrome, engendered by an ASNS/catecholamine-induced LVOTO, which results in an enhanced wall stress and afterload-based supply/demand mismatch, culminating in a segmental myocardial ischemic injury state, in susceptible individuals. Such individuals are felt to be particularly women with chronic hypertension, known or latent HCM, or non-HCM segmental myocardial hypertrophy, and certain structural abnormalities involving the LV and the MV apparatus. Recommendations are provided to explore further this hypothesis, while maintaining our focus on all other advanced TTS pathophysiology hypotheses for all patients, or those who do not experience LVOTO, men, the young, and patients with reverse, mid-ventricular, or right ventricular TTS, in whom more prolonged hyperadrenergic stimulation and/or larger amounts of blood-ridden catecholamines, segmental particularities of cardiac innervation and/or density of α-, and β-adrenergic receptors, pheochromocytoma, neurological chronic or acute comorbidities/catastrophies, coronary epicardial/microvascular vasospasm, and CMD.

Cardiogenic shock in takotsubo syndrome: etiology and treatment

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) can mimic acute coronary syndrome despite being a distinct disease. While typically benign, TTS can lead to serious complications like cardiogenic shock. Cardiogenic shock occurs in 1-20% of TTS cases. Various mechanisms can cause shock, including pump failure, right ventricular involvement, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and acute mitral regurgitation. Because treatment depends on the mechanism, early identification of the mechanism developing cardiogenic shock is essential for optimal treatment and improved outcomes in TTS patients with cardiogenic shock. This review summarizes current knowledge on causes and treatment of cardiogenic shock in patients with TTS.

Neurological Disorders in Takotsubo Syndrome: Clinical Phenotypes and Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Neurological disorders as a risk factor for Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) are not well characterized. The aim of the study was to evaluate TTS-associated neurological phenotypes and outcome.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with TTS enrolled in the international multicenter GEIST (German Italian Spanish Takotsubo) registry were analyzed. Prevalence, clinical characteristics, and short- and long-term outcomes of patients with TTS were recorded. A subgroup analysis of the 5 most represented neurological disorders was performed. In total, 400 (17%) of 2301 patients had neurological disorders. The most represented neurological conditions were previous cerebrovascular events (39%), followed by neurodegenerative disorders (30.7%), migraine (10%), epilepsy (9.5%), and brain tumors (5%). During hospitalization, patients with neurological disorders had longer in-hospital stay (8 [interquartile range, 5-12] versus 6 [interquartile range, 5-9] days; P<0.01) and more often experienced in-hospital complications (27% versus 16%; P=0.01) mainly driven by cardiogenic shock and in-hospital death (12% versus 7.6% and 6.5% versus 2.8%, respectively; both P<0.01). Survival analysis showed a higher mortality rate in neurological patients both at 60 days and long-term (8.8% versus 3.4% and 23.5% versus 10.1%, respectively; both P<0.01). Neurological disorder was an independent predictor of both the 60-day and long-term mortality rate (odds ratio, 1.78 [95% CI, 1.07-2.97]; P=0.02; hazard ratio, 1.72 [95% CI, 1.33-2.22]; both P<0.001). Patients with neurodegenerative disorders had the worst prognosis among the neurological disease subgroups, whereas patients with TTS with migraine had a favorable prognosis (long-term mortality rates, 29.2% and 9.7%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Neurological disorders identify a high-risk TTS subgroup for enhanced short- and long-term mortality rate. Careful recognition of neurological disorders and phenotype is therefore needed.

Age-Related Differences in Takotsubo Syndrome: Results From the Multicenter GEIST Registry

BACKGROUND

The role of age in the short- and long-term prognosis of takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate age-related differences and prognostic implications among patients with TTS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In total, 2492 consecutive patients with TTS enrolled in an international registry were stratified into 4 groups (<45, 45-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years). The median long-term follow-up was 480 days (interquartile range, 83-1510 days). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality (in-hospital and out-of-hospital mortality). The secondary end point was TTS-related in-hospital complications. Among the 2479 patients, 58 (2.3%) were aged <45 years, 625 (25.1%) were aged 45 to 64 years, 733 (29.4%) were aged 65 to 74 years, and 1063 (42.6%) were aged ≥75 years. Young patients (<45 years) had a higher prevalence of men (from youngest to oldest, 24.1% versus 12.6% versus 9.7% versus 11.4%; P<0.01), physical triggers (46.6% versus 27.5%, 33.9%, and 38.4%; P<0.01), and non-apical forms of TTS (25.9% versus 23.7%, 12.7%, and 9%; P<0.01) than those aged 45 to 64, 65 to 74, and ≥75 years. During hospitalization, young patients experienced a higher rate of in-hospital complications (32.8% versus 23.4%, 27.4%, and 31.9%; P=0.01), but in-hospital mortality was higher in the older group (0%, 1.6%, 2.9%, and 5%; P=0.001). Long-term all-cause mortality was significantly higher in the older cohort (5.6%, 6.4%, 11.3%, and 22.3%; log-rank P<0.001), as was long-term cardiovascular mortality (0%, 0.9%, 1.9%, and 3.2%; log-rank P=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Young patients with TTS have a typical phenotype characterized by a higher prevalence of male sex, non-apical ballooning patterns, and in-hospital complications. However, in-hospital and long-term mortality are significantly lower in young patients with TTS.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04361994. Unique identifier: NCT04361994.

Takotsubo syndrome is a coronary microvascular disease: experimental evidence

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a conundrum without consensus about the cause. In a murine model of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), abnormalities in myocardial perfusion played a key role in the development of TTS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Vascular Kv1.5 channels connect coronary blood flow to myocardial metabolism and their deletion mimics the phenotype of CMD. To determine if TTS is related to CMD, wild-type (WT), Kv1.5-/-, and TgKv1.5-/- (Kv1.5-/- with smooth muscle-specific expression Kv1.5 channels) mice were studied following transaortic constriction (TAC). Measurements of left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening (FS) in base and apex, and myocardial blood flow (MBF) were completed with standard and contrast echocardiography. Ribonucleic Acid deep sequencing was performed on LV apex and base from WT and Kv1.5-/- (control and TAC). Changes in gene expression were confirmed by real-time-polymerase chain reaction. MBF was increased with chromonar or by smooth muscle expression of Kv1.5 channels in the TgKv1.5-/-. TAC-induced systolic apical ballooning in Kv1.5-/-, shown as negative FS (P < 0.05 vs. base), which was not observed in WT, Kv1.5-/- with chromonar, or TgKv1.5-/-. Following TAC in Kv1.5-/-, MBF was lower in LV apex than in base. Increasing MBF with either chromonar or in TgKv1.5-/- normalized perfusion and function between LV apex and base (P = NS). Some genetic changes during TTS were reversed by chromonar, suggesting these were independent of TAC and more related to TTS.

CONCLUSION

Abnormalities in flow regulation between the LV apex and base cause TTS. When perfusion is normalized between the two regions, normal ventricular function is restored.

Successful treatment of a severe Takotsubo syndrome case complicated by liver abscess

The main manifestations of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) are a spherical expansion of the left ventricle or near the apex and decreased systolic function. TTS is mostly thought to be induced by emotional stress, and the induction of TTS by severe infection is not often reported. A 72-year-old female patient with liver abscess reported herein was admitted due to repeated fever with a history of hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance. Her severe infection caused TTS, and her blood pressure dropped to 80/40 mmHg. IABP treatment was performed immediately and continued for 10 days, and comprehensive medication was administered. Based on her disease course and her smooth recovery, general insights and learnings may be: Adding to mental and other pathological stress reaction, serious infections from pathogenic microorganism could be of great important causation of stress reaction leading to TTS, while basic diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes were be of promoting factors; In addition to effective drug therapies for TTS, the importance of the timely using of IABP should be emphasized.

Correlation between Echocardiographic Diastolic Parameters and Invasive Measurements of Left Ventricular Filling Pressure in Patients with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

The extent of diastolic dysfunction is of clinical importance in the risk stratification and management of patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC). Standard echocardiographic indices of diastolic dysfunction have robust predictive ability in assorted disease states, but have not been validated in TC. The aim of this study was to compare Doppler metrics of diastolic function against catheterization-measured filling pressures in TC.

METHODS

Patients with TC who met inclusion and exclusion criteria were evaluated using echocardiography and catheterization performed within 24 hours. Both left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure and LV pre-A diastolic pressure were obtained from catheterization tracings. The echocardiographic parameters for diastolic function were extracted using the American Society of Echocardiography recommendations and a previously validated regression equation for mean left atrial pressure (mLAP).

RESULTS

A total of 51 patients with TC were included. Patients were predominantly women (72.5%), with a mean age of 58 ± 13 years and a mean ejection fraction of 24 ± 10 %. E/e' ratio (septal, average, and lateral) and calculated mLAP correlated positively with catheterization LV pre-A, with fair to moderate correlation (coefficient range, 0.38-0.44). The t-test mean difference between LV pre-A pressure and calculated mLAP was 0.77 ± 7.34 mm Hg (95% CI, ±14.68 mm Hg) suggesting inconsistent measures. mLAP also exhibited poor diagnostic ability to discriminate elevated LV pre-A diastolic pressure, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.69 (95% CI, 0.50-0.88).

CONCLUSIONS

Commonly used echocardiographic parameters for diastolic function demonstrated less-than-optimal correlation, with poor sensitivity and specificity, compared with invasively measured LV end-diastolic pressure or LV pre-A wave diastolic pressure in patients with TC. Precise characterization of LV filling pressure in patients with TC using contemporary noninvasive echocardiographic parameters appears challenging. Invasive measurements of filling pressure should remain the gold standard for optimal risk stratification and management of patients with TC.

Trigger related outcomes of takotsubo syndrome in a cancer population

Background

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) occurs more frequently in cancer patients than in the general population, but the effect of specific TTS triggers on outcomes in cancer patients is not well studied.

Objectives

The study sought to determine whether triggering event (chemotherapy, immune-modulators vs. procedural or emotional stress) modifies outcomes in a cancer patient population with TTS.

Methods

All cancer patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) between December 2008 and December 2020 at our institution were enrolled in the catheterization laboratory registry. Demographic and clinical data of the identified patients with TTS were retrospective collected and further classified according to the TTS trigger. The groups were compared with regards to major adverse cardiac events, overall survival and recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) after TTS presentation.

Results

Eighty one of the 373 cancer patients who presented with ACS met the Mayo criteria for TTS. The triggering event was determined to be "cancer specific triggers" (use of chemotherapy in 23, immunomodulators use in 7, and radiation in 4), and "traditional triggers" (medical triggers 22, and procedural 18 and emotional stress in 7). Of the 81 patients, 47 died, all from cancer-related causes (no cardiovascular mortality). Median survival was 11.9 months. Immunomodulator (IM) related TTS and radiation related TTS were associated with higher mortality during the follow-up. Patients with medical triggers showed the least recovery in LVEF and GLS while patients with emotional and chemotherapy triggers, showed the most improvement in LVEF and GLS, respectively.

Conclusion

Cancer patients presenting with ACS picture have a high prevalence of TTS due to presence of traditional and cancer specific triggers. Survival and improvement in left ventricular systolic function seem to be related to the initial trigger for TTS.

Septic Cardiomyopathy: From Pathophysiology to the Clinical Setting

The onset of cardiomyopathy is a common feature in sepsis, with relevant effects on its pathophysiology and clinical care. Septic cardiomyopathy is characterized by reduced left ventricular (LV) contractility eventually associated with LV dilatation with or without right ventricle failure. Unfortunately, such a wide range of ultrasonographic findings does not reflect a deep comprehension of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy, but rather a lack of consensus about its definition. Several echocardiographic parameters intrinsically depend on loading conditions (both preload and afterload) so that it may be challenging to discriminate which is primitive and which is induced by hemodynamic perturbances. Here, we explore the state of the art in sepsis-related cardiomyopathy. We focus on the shortcomings in its definition and point out how cardiac performance dynamically changes in response to different hemodynamic clusters. A special attention is also given to update the knowledge about molecular mechanisms leading to myocardial dysfunction and that recall those of myocardial hibernation. Ultimately, the aim of this review is to highlight the unsolved issue in the field of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy as their implementation would lead to improve risk stratification and clinical care.

Clinical features of patients with septic shock-triggered Takotsubo syndrome: a single-center 7 case series

BACKGROUND

Myocardial dysfunction is common in septic shock and has long been recognized. Takotsubo syndrome is an acute and usually reversible myocardial injury without evidence of an obstructive coronary artery disease, yet little is known about this syndrome in septic shock patients.

CASE PRESENTATION

Among 84 septic shock patients admitted to the ICU over a period of 8 months, 7 patients (8.3%) were diagnosed with Takotsubo syndrome. The percentage of men was 71%, and the mean age was 58 (19-87) years. Sudden hemodynamic deterioration and/or dyspnea were the presenting symptoms in 6 patients. T-wave inversion was the major ECG anomaly in 5 patients. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 31.8% (20.0-53.0). Mild elevation of cardiac troponin disproportionate to the extent of regional wall motion abnormalities was present in all patients. Cardiac complications occurred in 6 patients. The mean time to recover the cardiac function was 6.5 (3-11) days. In-hospital death was observed in 2 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Takotsubo syndrome is not uncommon in septic shock patients and may be the cause of some patients with sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction. New-onset hemodynamic and respiratory worsening could arouse the suspicion of Takotsubo syndrome and prompt the screening for this syndrome using echocardiography in this clinical context.

Hyperthermia as a trigger for Takotsubo syndrome in a rat model

Takotsubo syndrome is a well-characterized cause of acute yet reversible heart failure associated with periods of intense emotional stress, often mimicking on presentation an acute coronary syndrome. Animal models of Takotsubo syndrome have been developed, either through the application of a stressor, or administration of exogenous catecholamine. We found that in a model of isoproterenol-induced Takotsubo syndrome in anesthetized rats hyperthermia (40–41°C) would occur after the administration of isoproterenol. Maintenance of this hyperthermia would result in an apical hypocontractility typical of the syndrome, whereas prevention of hyperthermia with active cooling to maintain a euthermic core body temperature prevented (but did not subsequently reverse) apical hypocontractility. In vitro experimentation with isolated cardiomyocytes showed no effect of hyperthermia on either baseline contractility or contractility change after beta-adrenoceptor stimulation. We suggest that the rise in body temperature that is characteristic of catecholamine storm may be a component in the development of Takotsubo syndrome.

Case report: Changes in the levels of stress hormones during Takotsubo syndrome

Background

Takotsubo syndrome is an acute cardiac condition usually involving abnormal regional left ventricular wall motion and impaired left ventricular contractility. It is due mainly to hyper-stimulation of the sympathetic nerve system, inducing an excess of catecholamines, usually triggered by intense psychological or physiological stress. The relationship between Takotsubo syndrome and the circulating stress hormones cortisol and copeptin (a surrogate marker of arginine vasopressin) has not been well documented.

Case summary

Here, we describe the dynamic changes in circulating cortisol and copeptin during an entire episode of Takotsubo syndrome in a post-partum woman after spontaneous vaginal delivery. The patient was diagnosed with inverted Takotsubo syndrome accompanied by HELLP syndrome. We found qualitative and quantitative changes in cortisol: a loss of circadian rhythm and a three-fold elevation in the plasma concentration of the hormone with a peak appearing several hours before circulating cardiac biomarkers began to rise. By contrast, levels of copeptin remained normal during the entire episode.

Discussion

Our findings indicate that the levels of cortisol change during Takotsubo syndrome whereas those of copeptin do not. This association between elevated cortisol and Takotsubo syndrome suggests that aberrant levels of this stress hormone may contribute to the observed cardiac pathology. We conclude that biochemical assays of circulating cortisol and cardiac biomarkers may be a useful complement to the diagnosis of Takotsubo syndrome by non-invasive cardiac imaging.

Kidney Failure among Patients with Takotsubo Syndrome or Myocardial Infarction: A Retrospective Analysis

Background: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a syndrome with ambiguous pathophysiology. Impaired kidney function (KF) seems to impact the outcome of patients with TTS. We hypothesized that KF worsens the outcome among TTS patients and furthermore, TTS patients with concomitant KF experience more adverse events compared to myocardial infarction (MI) patients with concomitant KF. Methods and Results: This retrospective single-center study comprised two groups (cohorts) of patients including patients with TTS and concomitant KF (n = 61, 27.1%) and patients with MI and concomitant KF (n = 164, 72.9%). The clinical outcomes were delineated as short-term outcomes defined as in-hospital adverse events during index hospitalization and long-term outcomes defined as adverse events over five-year clinical follow-ups. All-cause mortality, stroke, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), life-threatening arrhythmias, need for respiratory support, and cardiogenic shock with subsequent use of inotropic agents during index hospitalization were denoted as in-hospital adverse events. All-cause mortality, rehospitalization due to heart failure, stroke, thromboembolic events, and the recurrence of primary pathology (TTS and MI) were analyzed during five-year follow-ups after index hospitalization. A higher mortality rate was noted among TTS patients with KF compared to TTS without KF. In addition, in-hospital event rates in patients with TTS and concomitant KF compared to MI and concomitant KF were comparable with the exception of a higher rate of respiratory support in TTS patients. The mortality rate was significantly higher among patients with TTS and KF at 4 years (29.5% vs. 15.9%, p = 0.02) and 5 years (34.4% vs. 20.7%, p = 0.03) in comparison to patients with MI and concomitant KF. In contrast, the rate of re-hospitalization related to heart failure was higher at 30 days, and at one-, four-, and five-year follow-ups in patients suffering from MI and KF compared to TTS and concomitant KF. Additionally, the recurrence of MI after 4 and 5 years was higher than the recurrence of TTS (4.9% vs. 15.2%; 4.9% vs. 16.5%). There were no differences in life-threatening arrhythmias and stroke in both groups. Conclusions: Patients with TTS and concomitant KF have higher all-cause mortality when compared to MI and concomitant KF. The mechanisms responsible remain to be determined.

The heart of the matter: secretory pheochromocytoma presenting as recurrent biventricular heart failure (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy)

Takotsubo’s syndrome (TS) is an acute, transient cardiomyopathy occurring secondary to physical or emotional stressors through catecholamine excess. Secretory pheochromocytomas have been previously implicated in cases of TS (PTS), however, often present atypically, are associated with reoccurrence, and have higher rates of complications. We describe the case of a 70-year-old female who presented central chest pain, hypotension and electrocardiogram changes on a background of a 6-month prior episode of resolved Takotsubo’s with unknown cause. After progressing to cardiogenic shock with biventricular failure, computerized tomography coronary aortogram revealed an incidental adrenal mass, later proven to be a secretory pheochromocytoma on biochemistry and subsequent histology. PTS has been associated with recurrence and rarely presents as cardiogenic shock. This case highlights the complexity of TS presentations and complications and the diagnostic delays that may occur in PTS.

Stepwise approach for diagnosis and management of Takotsubo syndrome with cardiac imaging tools

Takotsubo syndrome is featured by transient left ventricle dysfunction in the absence of significant coronary artery disease, mainly triggered by emotional or physical stress. Its clinical presentation is similar to acute coronary syndrome; therefore, cardiac imaging tools have a crucial role. Coronary angiography is mandatory for exclusion of pathological stenosis. On the other side, transthoracic echocardiography is the first non-invasive imaging modality for an early evaluation of left ventricle systolic and diastolic function. Left ventricle morphologic patterns could be identified according to the localization of wall motion abnormalities. Moreover, an early identification of potential mechanical and electrical complications such as left ventricle outflow tract obstruction, mitral regurgitation, thrombus formation, right ventricular involvement, cardiac rupture, and cardiac rhythm disorders could provide additional information for clinical management and therapy. Because of the dynamic evolution of the syndrome, comprehensive serial echocardiographic examinations should be systematically performed. Advanced techniques, including speckle-tracking echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, and nuclear imaging can provide mechanistic and pathophysiologic insights into this syndrome. This review focuses on these aspects and provide a stepwise approach of all cardiac imaging tools for the diagnosis and the management of Takotsubo syndrome.