Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy: insights from a community hospital

AimsTo describe the actual incidence, prevalence among acute coronary syndrome patients and rate of recurrences of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy in an emergency department of a community hospital.MethodsWe report the in-hospital and long-term clinical course (7.5 years follow-up) of 25 consecutive tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy patients (mean age 66.811.76 years; F/M: 21/4) admitted to a community hospital (referring population: 97000 inhabitants).ResultsThe incidence rate of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy was 0.03 cases per 1000 person-years; the prevalence was 3.0% among those with acute coronary syndrome and 7.6% among ST elevation myocardial infarction patients. Clinical presentations included mainly chest pain (n=16, 64%) and dyspnea (n=3, 12%). Precipitating conditions were emotional (n=10, 40%), physical stress (n=5, 20%) or both (n=1, 4%); no stressors were recorded in nine patients (36%). Two patients died during hospitalization (8%). At the end of follow-up (mean time: 960.24 +/- 724.34 days), all patients (n=23) were alive and no major cardiovascular events were observed. Five patients had recurrences (22%). The mean time of recurrence was 105.4 +/- 82.92 days and the clinical presentation was less severe compared with the first event: ECG had less ST involvement, ejection fraction was higher and cardiac injury biomarkers were lower.ConclusionsIn our population incidence and prevalence of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy among acute coronary syndrome patients, as well as the recurrence rate of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy, were higher than previously reported, suggesting that probably this syndrome often passes undiagnosed.