Background: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a syndrome characterized by transient regional systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV). However, far fewer reports focused on the prevalence of left ventricular diastolic function (DF) and its impact on an adverse prognosis in TTC.
Methods: From January 2005 to October 2014, 205 consecutive TTC patients (mean age, 70±12years; 95% female) were studied. The patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography at the acute phase and recovery phase (mean, 38±16days after admission).
Results: DF was labeled as normal, mild, moderate and severe. At the acute phase, Abnormal DF was present in 108 patients (53%), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50% in 156 patients (76%). At the recovery phase, DF was unchanged for 104 patients (51%), 44 patients (21%) had worsened, 57 patients (28%) had improved in DF grade. 25 patients (12%) had an LVEF <50%. During 2years of follow-up, 34 patients developed clinical adverse events. Kaplan-Meier analysis estimated that the subgroup with unimproved DF and LVEF <50% at recovery phase had the worst 2-year survival. In multivariable analysis, unimproved DF with LVEF <50% and heart rate (HR) remained predictors of clinical adverse events.
Conclusions: The current study demonstrated that consideration of both change of DF and LVEF allows identification of subgroups with divergent long-term prognoses in patients with TTC, and may indicate the need for a different management in the high-risk TTC patients.
Keywords: Adverse outcome; Diastolic function; Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
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