Abstract
BACKGROUND Takotsubo syndrome is an increasingly common cardiac emergency with no known evidence-based
treatment.
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate cardiovascular mortality and medication use after takotsubo
syndrome.
METHODS In a case-control study, all patients with takotsubo syndrome in Scotland between 2010 and 2017 (n ¼ 620)
were age, sex, and geographically matched to individuals in the general population (1:4, n ¼ 2,480) and contemporaneous
patients with acute myocardial infarction (1:1, n ¼ 620). Electronic health record data linkage of mortality outcomes
and drug prescribing were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models.
RESULTS Of the 3,720 study participants (mean age, 66 years; 91% women), 153 (25%) patients with takotsubo syndrome
died over the median of 5.5 years follow-up. This exceeded mortality rates in the general population (N ¼ 374
[15%]; HR: 1.78 [95% CI: 1.48-2.15], P < 0.0001), especially for cardiovascular (HR: 2.47 [95% CI: 1.81-3.39], P < 0.001)
but also noncardiovascular (HR: 1.48 [95% CI: 1.16-1.87], P ¼ 0.002) deaths. Mortality rates were lower for patients with
takotsubo syndrome than those with myocardial infarction (31%, 195/620; HR: 0.76 [95% CI: 0.62-0.94], P ¼ 0.012),
which was attributable to lower rates of cardiovascular (HR: 0.61 [95% CI: 0.44-0.84], P ¼ 0.002) but not noncardiovascular
(HR: 0.92 [95% CI: 0.69-1.23], P ¼ 0.59) deaths. Despite comparable medications use, cardiovascular
therapies were consistently associated with better survival in patients with myocardial infarction but not in those with
takotsubo syndrome. Diuretic (P ¼ 0.01), anti-inflammatory (P ¼ 0.002), and psychotropic (P < 0.001) therapies were
all associated with worse outcomes in patients with takotsubo syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS In patients with takotsubo syndrome, cardiovascular mortality is the leading cause of death, and this is
not associated with cardiovascular therapy use. (
Year
2024
Category
Refereed journal