Transient left ventricular dysfunction in patients with neurovascular events

Transient Left Ventricular Dysfunction from Cardiomyopathies to Myocardial Viability: When and Why Cardiac Function Recovers

Transient left ventricular dysfunction (TLVD), a temporary condition marked by reversible impairment of ventricular function, remains an underdiagnosed yet significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in clinical practice. Unlike the well-explored atherosclerotic disease of the epicardial coronary arteries, the diverse etiologies of TLVD require greater attention for proper diagnosis and management. The spectrum of disorders associated with TLVD includes stress-induced cardiomyopathy, central nervous system injuries, histaminergic syndromes, various inflammatory diseases, pregnancy-related conditions, and genetically determined syndromes. Furthermore, myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) origins such as coronary artery spasm, coronary thromboembolism, and spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) may also manifest as TLVD, eventually showing recovery. This review highlights the range of ischemic and non-ischemic clinical situations that lead to TLVD, gathering conditions like Tako-Tsubo Syndrome (TTS), Kounis syndrome (KS), Myocarditis, Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), and Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC). Differentiation amongst these causes is crucial, as they involve distinct clinical, instrumental, and genetic predictors that bode different outcomes and recovery potential for left ventricular function. The purpose of this review is to improve everyday clinical approaches to treating these diseases by providing an extensive survey of conditions linked with TLVD and the elements impacting prognosis and outcomes.

Recurrent angina and cardiac ischaemia as a presentation of pheochromocytoma: a case report

Background

We present a case of a pregnant patient with recurrent angina, in which her symptoms were initially attributed to coronary artery spasm. However, during follow-up, she was diagnosed as having pheochromocytoma, a rare neuroendocrine tumour.

Case summary

The 35-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital because of chest pain and elevated cardiac troponins after the use of MDMA. Physical examination, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, coronary angiogram, and cardiac MRI were normal. Symptoms were attributed to coronary spasm, and a calcium antagonist was started. Ten months later, when 36 weeks pregnant, her symptoms returned. One week later, the patient was readmitted to the hospital with signs of acute left ventricular (LV) failure, highly elevated troponins, and severe global LV dysfunction. Urgent section caesarean was performed due to maternal morbidity and foetal tachycardia. During section, flushes and marked variability in blood pressure were noted. Laboratory metanephrines testing was performed. LV function recovered within 3 days without any therapeutic intervention. However, chest pain reoccurred, now accompanied with headaches, malignant hypertension, and accelerated idiopathic ventricular rhythms. (Nor)metanephrines tests were positive. A solid lesion in the right adrenal on CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Fluid repletion and alpha-blocker therapy were started. Due to persistent symptoms, urgent laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed. Hereafter, the patient remained without symptoms.

Discussion

A pheochromocytoma may present with recurrent angina and can result in a catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy. It is important to timely recognize this diagnosis in order to minimize morbidity and mortality.

Unusual presentation of benzodiazepine withdrawal with Takotsubo syndrome: a case report

Background

Thousands of people suffer from anxiety, depression, and insomnia every day, with benzodiazepines being one of the strategies used to treat these conditions. Withdrawal from its long-term use can lead to potentially life-threatening complications, including Takotsubo syndrome. The authors highlight an atypical case of Takotsubo syndrome secondary to benzodiazepine withdrawal, a rare life-threatening complication of acute substance withdrawal.

Case summary

A 58-year-old female presented to the emergency department with altered mental status and acute pulmonary oedema after discontinuing her prescribed benzodiazepines 3 days prior to presentation. Electrocardiogram (ECG) demonstrated anterior ST-segment elevation, with Q-wave and T-wave inversion with prolonged QT interval. Troponin I concentration and B-type natriuretic peptide were elevated to 5407 ng/L (normal ≤ 16 ng/L) and to 1627.0 pg/L (normal ≤ 100 pg/mL), respectively. Echocardiogram showed ballooning of the left ventricle (LV) apex with dyskinesia of the mid and apical segments, with LV function of 15%. Coronary angiography was normal, but left ventriculography showed severe LV systolic dysfunction with akinesis of the mid and apical LV segments and hyperdynamic basal segments. A presumptive diagnosis of benzodiazepine withdrawal-induced Takotsubo syndrome was made, and patients' symptoms, ECG findings, and LV dysfunction resolved after benzodiazepine administration. Six months post discharge, the patient remained asymptomatic with a normal biventricular function, and a beta-blocker was successfully introduced as part of a lifelong plan.

Discussion

A diagnosis of benzodiazepine withdrawal-induced Takotsubo syndrome is an underrecognized and challenging diagnosis, due to its atypical clinical presentation. High degree of clinical suspicion for this syndrome is crucial, since favourable prognosis depends on prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy with Parenteral P2Y12 Inhibitors: Rationale, Evidence, and Future Directions

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), consisting of the combination of aspirin and an inhibitor of the platelet P2Y₁₂ receptor for ADP, remains among the most investigated treatments in cardiovascular medicine. While a substantial amount of research initially stemmed from the observations of late and very late stent thrombosis events in the first-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) era, DAPT has been recently transitioning from a purely stent-related to a more systemic secondary prevention strategy. Oral and parenteral platelet P2Y₁₂ inhibitors are currently available for clinical use. The latter have been shown to be extremely suitable in drug-naïve patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), mainly because oral P2Y₁₂ inhibitors are associated with delayed efficacy in patients with STEMI and because pre-treatment with P2Y₁₂ inhibitors is discouraged in NSTE-ACS, and in patients with recent DES implantation and in need of urgent cardiac and non-cardiac surgery. More definitive evidence is needed, however, about optimal switching strategies between parenteral and oral P2Y₁₂ inhibitors and about newer potent subcutaneous agents that are being developed for the pre-hospital setting.

Kounis syndrome in a patient with multivessel coronary artery disease and DRESS

A 68-year-old man was admitted with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and intense rash. He was diagnosed with type 2 Kounis syndrome elicited by drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome and received complete revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention. This case highlights the complex pathophysiology of acute coronary syndrome, and the elusive link between coronary occlusion and ST-segment deviations at ECG.

Clinical correlates and prognostic impact of neurologic disorders in Takotsubo syndrome

Cardiac alterations are frequently observed after acute neurological disorders. Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) represents an acute heart failure syndrome and is increasingly recognized as part of the spectrum of cardiac complications observed after neurological disorders. A systematic investigation of TTS patients with neurological disorders has not been conducted yet. The aim of the study was to expand insights regarding neurological disease entities triggering TTS and to investigate the clinical profile and outcomes of TTS patients after primary neurological disorders. The International Takotsubo Registry is an observational multicenter collaborative effort of 45 centers in 14 countries (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT01947621). All patients in the registry fulfilled International Takotsubo Diagnostic Criteria. For the present study, patients were included if complete information on acute neurological disorders were available. 2402 patients in whom complete information on acute neurological status were available were analyzed. In 161 patients (6.7%) an acute neurological disorder was identified as the preceding triggering factor. The most common neurological disorders were seizures, intracranial hemorrhage, and ischemic stroke. Time from neurological symptoms to TTS diagnosis was ≤ 2 days in 87.3% of cases. TTS patients with neurological disorders were younger, had a lower female predominance, fewer cardiac symptoms, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and higher levels of cardiac biomarkers. TTS patients with neurological disorders had a 3.2-fold increased odds of in-hospital mortality compared to TTS patients without neurological disorders. In this large-scale study, 1 out of 15 TTS patients had an acute neurological condition as the underlying triggering factor. Our data emphasize that a wide spectrum of neurological diseases ranging from benign to life-threatening encompass TTS. The high rates of adverse events highlight the need for clinical awareness.

Ventricular fibrillation and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy triggered by media panic on COVID‐19: A case report

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has potentially lethal complications and can be caused by a media‐induced diffuse atmosphere of life threatening and panic in preconditioned patients.

Association between resting amygdalar activity and abnormal cardiac function in women and men: a retrospective cohort study

AIMS

Cardiovascular outcomes of women with coronary artery disease (CAD) are perceived as relatively worse when compared to men. Amygdalar metabolic activity has recently been shown to independently predict cardiovascular events in patients without known cardiovascular disease. Given that traditional algorithms for risk prediction perform worse in women than in men, we sought to assess sex-specific associations between amygdalar metabolic activity and cardiac dysfunction with suspected or known CAD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This retrospective study included 302 patients (mean age 66.8 ± 10.2 years, 29.1% women) selected for evaluation of CAD, malignant, or inflammatory disease. All patients had undergone both, myocardial perfusion imaging by single photon emission computed tomography (MPI-SPECT) and whole-body fluoro-18-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), within 6 months. 18F-FDG resting amygdalar uptake was significantly increased in women with abnormal MPI scans (standardized uptake value 33.4 ± 6.5 vs. 30.4 ± 4.7, P = 0.043), while no such difference was observed in men (P = 0.808). In women, but not in men, a negative association between 18F-FDG resting amygdalar activity and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was observed (Pearson r = -0.308, P = 0.004). Accordingly, either LVEF [B-coefficient (standard error, SE) = -0.232 (0.109), P = 0.045] or abnormal MPI [B-coefficient (SE) = 8.264 (2.449), P = 0.003] were selected as significant predictors of high amygdalar 18F-FDG uptake in a fully adjusted linear regression model in women, and a first order interaction term consisting of sex and LVEF or sex and abnormal MPI was significant (P = 0.035 and P = 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Resting amygdalar metabolic activity is associated with abnormal cardiac function and perfusion in women, suggesting a link between emotional stress and cardiovascular disease in women.

Glomerular Filtration Rate as a Predictor of Outcome in Acute Coronary Syndrome Complicated by Atrial Fibrillation

The close relationship between kidney and heart is well known. Cardiovascular impairment contributes to the worsening of renal function and kidney failure worsens cardiovascular health. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequent issue in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and several studies have demonstrated that AF impacts negatively on their quality of life and outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms leading to the progression of CKD, new-onset AF and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a key issue. The evaluation of Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) could make the difference in this equilibrium and suggests specific strategies in the treatment of the population at major risk of cardiovascular events. This intriguing connection paves the way for necessary further investigations.

Long-term benefit of renal denervation on blood pressure control in a patient with hemorrhagic stroke

A 49-year-old man with malignant hypertension had been admitted with hemorrhagic stroke. Refractory hypertension had been observed during hospitalization and the decision had been made to perform renal denervation. A significant blood pressure reduction was obtained immediately after renal denervation and persists at 2-year follow-up. This case demonstrates the long-term sustained efficacy of renal denervation performed in the acute phase of hemorrhagic stroke. In addition, it supports the notion that renal denervation–induced normalization of blood pressure may contribute to better outcomes in a challenging setting such as intracranial bleeding.

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy With Inconspicuous Initial Electrocardiogram: A Potentially Serious Cardiac Pathology Related to Emotional Stress

Introduction: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is frequently associated with emotional or physical stress. Thus, patients with TCM might present primarily at a psychiatric clinic. Appropriate diagnosis and therapy may thus be delayed. Case report: A 43-year-old female patient presented as an emergency to the psychiatric outpatient clinic after experiencing severe work-related bullying. On admission, she complained of acute left thoracic chest pain as well as depressed mood, low energy, anhedonia, generalized anxiety, and sleep difficulties, present for several weeks. The initial electrocardiogram (ECG) was unremarkable; serum troponin levels, however, were markedly elevated. The patient was transferred to the department of cardiology. Via cardiac catheterization and MRI, an acute coronary syndrome was excluded and apical ballooning and left ventricular dysfunction, compatible with TCM, was found. Conclusion: Patients with acute psychopathology, recent emotional or physical stress, and acute cardiothoracic symptoms should receive immediate cardiological investigations. As the ECG may be normal in patients with TCM, concurrent measurement of the troponin serum level is recommended. Psychiatrists should consider TCM in patients who report recent stressful events accompanied by cardiothoracic symptoms.

Plasma D-Dimer Concentrations and Risk of Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The aim of our meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between plasma d-dimer and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: Embase, Pubmed, and Web of Science were searched up to the date of March 19th, 2018, and manual searching was used to extract additional articles. Standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated to evaluate d-dimer levels.

Results: Thirteen studies including 891 ICH patients and 1,573 healthy controls were included. Our results revealed that higher levels of d-dimer were displayed in ICH patients than those in healthy controls (95% CI= 0.98–2.00, p< 0.001). Subgroup analysis based on continent of Asia and Europe, sample size, as well as age in relation to d-dimer levels between ICH patients and healthy controls did not change the initial observation; whereas no differences of d-dimer levels were found between ICH and controls in America.

Conclusions: This meta-analysis revealed that high level of d-dimer is associated with the risk of ICH. Plasma d-dimer is suggested to be a potential biomarker for patients with ICH in Asia and Europe rather than in America. There were no impact of sample size-related differences and age-related diversities on the risk of ICH with respect to d-dimer levels.

Age- and sex-dependent changes in sympathetic activity of the left ventricular apex assessed by 18F-DOPA PET imaging

BACKGROUND

Sexual dimorphism in cardiac sympathetic outflow has recently gained attention in the context of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Previous studies suggest that there are sex- and age-dependent differences in peripheral autonomic control, however, data on cardiac-specific sympathetic activation in aged women and men are lacking.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Regional quantitative analysis of cardiac fluorine-18 (18F)- Dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) uptake was retrospectively performed in 133 patients (69 females, mean age 52.4±17.7 years) referred for assessment of neuroendocrine tumours (NET) by Positron-Emission-Tomography. Cardiac 18F-DOPA uptake was significantly higher in women as compared to men (1.33±0.21 vs. 1.18±0.24, p<0.001). This sex-difference was most pronounced in the apical region of the left ventricle (LV, 1.30±0.24 in women vs. 1.13±0.25 in men, p<0.001) and in individuals >55 years of age (1.39±0.25 in women vs. 1.09±0.24 in men, p<0.001). Women showed a prominent increase in myocardial 18F-DOPA uptake with age with the strongest increase seen in the LV apical region (r = 0.34, p = 0.004). Accordingly, sex and age were selected as significant predictors of LV apical 18F-DOPA uptake in a stepwise linear regression model. No age-dependent changes of cardiac 18F-DOPA uptake were observed in men or in the right ventricular region.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that aging is related to sex-specific changes in regional cardiac sympathetic activity. Future studies will have to assess whether the increase in LV apical 18F-DOPA uptake with age in women is of pathogenic relevance for the higher susceptibility of postmenopausal women to conditions associated with increased sympathetic activity.

Prevalence and risk factors for postoperative stress-related cardiomyopathy in adults

Stress-related cardiomyopathy can develop during the postoperative period due to surgery-related stress factors. However, the prevalence and risk factors for this condition are not yet known. During a retrospective, observational study, patients older than 19 years who underwent procedures from January 2011 to December 2015 at a tertiary hospital were included. The main aim was to identify the prevalence and related risk factors for postoperative stress-related cardiomyopathy. To estimate the incidence per risk factor, univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed. During the 5-year period, 95,840 patients older than 19 years underwent 125,314 procedures, and the prevalence of postoperative stress-related cardiomyopathy was 17.74 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval, 9.31–26.17), with an in-hospital mortality of 23.5%. As a result, three risk factors were significantly associated: preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists classification (incidence rate ratio, 5.901 for American Society of Anesthesiologists class 1–2 [ref] versus 3–6; 95% confidence interval,1.289–27.002; P = 0.022); preoperative body mass index (incidence rate ratio, 1.247 for increases of 18.5 [ref] to 30; 95% confidence interval, 1.067–1.458; P = 0.006); and preoperative serum sodium (incidence rate ratio, 0.830 for each increase of 10 mmol/L from 130; 95% confidence interval, 0.731–0.942; P = 0.004). The incidence rate ratio for age for each increase of 10 years from 50 years was 1.057, but it was not statistically significant (P = 0.064). Our study found that the prevalence of postoperative stress-related cardiomyopathy was 17.74 patients per 100,000 adult patients over the course of 5 years, with four cases of in-hospital mortality. Factors that increased the risk of postoperative stress-related cardiomyopathy included higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class (≥3), preoperative hyponatremia, and higher preoperative body mass index.

Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity to Metals of Environmental Burden in Patients with Takotsubo Syndrome - Is There a Clinical Relevance?

Objective

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is a heart condition characterised by a sudden transient left ventricular dysfunction; its pathophysiology is probably associated with elevated levels of catecholamines but the exact mechanism is not known as yet. Literature and clinical experience suggest that TS affects persons with various comorbidities. This pilot work aims to evaluate the frequency of comorbidities with potential pathological immune reactivity, and to evaluate the potential association between TS and hypersensitivity to metals assessed by LTT-MELISA®.

Methodology, Results

A total of 24 patients (23 women, 1 man) with a history of TS attack and 27 healthy controls were evaluated. Hypersensitivity was evaluated by a lymphocyte transformation test (LTT-MELISA®); a questionnaire of environmental burden was used to select evaluated metals. A total of 19 patients (79%) had at least one condition that might potentially be associated with pathological immune reactivity (autoimmune thyroid disease, drug allergy, bronchial asthma, cancer, contact dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis). Hypersensitivity to metals was identified significantly more frequently in TS patients than in healthy controls (positive reaction to at least one metal was identified in 95.8% of TS patients and in 59.3% of controls; p = 0.003); the difference was statistically significant for mercury (45.8% and 14.8%, respectively; p = 0.029).

Conclusion

Our work shows that conditions with pathological immune reactivity occur frequently in TS patients, and our data suggest a possible association between TS and hypersensitivity to metals (mercury in particular) evaluated by LTT-MELISA®. We also suggest that apart from the triggering stress factor, potential existence of other serious conditions should be considered when taking medical history of TS patients.

High Plasma Levels of D-Dimer Are Independently Associated with a Heightened Risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a complication of stroke. Our aim was to determine whether D-dimer plasma levels at admission could be a risk factor for DVT in Chinese patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). From December 2012 to November 2014, all patients with first-ever acute ICH were included. At baseline, the demographical and clinical data were taken. These patients were assessed for DVT using color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) on 15 days after ICH and whenever clinically requested. Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to test the overall predictive accuracy of D-dimer and other markers. In our study, acute ICH was diagnosed in 265 patients and 210 completed a 15-day follow-up and were included in the analysis. Fifty-four (25.7 %) out of the 210 patients were diagnosed as DVT. Plasma D-dimer levels were significantly higher in ICH patients with DVT as compared to those without DVT (P < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for common risk factors showed that plasma D-dimer levels ≥1.20 mg/L were an independent predictor of DVT [odds ratio (OR) = 12.99, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 3.17-32.98; P < 0.0001]. With an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.91 (95 % CI = 0.86-0.94), D-dimer showed a significantly greater discriminatory ability to predict DVT as compared with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) (AUC = 0.77, 95 % CI = 0.70-0.82; P < 0.01), homocysteine (HCY) (AUC = 0.75, 95 % CI = 0.70-0.81; P < 0.01), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (AUC = 0.80, 95 % CI = 0.72-0.85; P < 0.01). The present study suggested that elevated D-dimer plasma levels were independent predictors for DVT in Chinese patients with ICH.

Stress cardiomyopathies beyond Takotsubo: does a common catecholaminergic pathophysiology fit all?

Diagnostic criteria for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) still remains a matter of debate. The similarities between cardiac dysfunction which complicates cerebrovascular events and 'typical' TTC let us hypothesize that the current diagnostic criteria of TTC need to be widened. Moreover, clinical, histological and scintigraphic similarities have been robustly reported between TTC and other Takotsubo-like syndromes, and we agree that central to this unifying hypothesis is a catecholamine surge which triggers the abnormality in left ventricular contraction. Given these overlapping features, we propose that the terms 'acute ballooning cardiomyopathy' or 'catecholamine-induced stress cardiomyopathy' could be used to refer to these conditions in the future.

Coronary spasm and myocardial bridging: an elusive pathophysiological mechanism leading to apical ballooning syndrome?

Apical ballooning syndrome or Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy is an acute syndrome characterized by normal or near-normal coronary arteries, regional wall motion abnormalities that extend beyond a single coronary vascular bed and, often, a precipitating stressor. We observed a case of an elderly lady with Takotsubo-like left ventricular dysfunction in whom both left anterior descending artery and diagonal branch coronary artery reversible spasm and myocardial bridging were demonstrated at the time of acute cardiac catheterization. It is a common observation that a combination of multiple pathophysiological mechanisms may produce a clinically similar picture. We believe that reversible, yet extreme, spasticity elicited at the level of myocardial bridging and involving a territory beyond a single coronary branch may explain in this case a functional phenomenon, namely the Takotsubo-shaped dysfunction of the left ventricle, which is more commonly observed in women with totally normal coronary arteries after exaggerated sympathetic stimulation.