2016 to 2020 Did Not See Any Improvement in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Outcomes

FRIDAY, May 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is associated with high mortality and complications, and recent years have seen little to no improvement in outcomes, according to a study published online May 14 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Mohammad Reza Movahed, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center in Tucson, and colleagues evaluated outcomes for patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The analysis included data from 199,890 patients with Takotsubo identified through the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2016 to 2020).

The researchers found that 83 percent of identified patients were female. Higher prevalence was also seen with age, White race, and highest income. Mortality was 6.5 percent, with no significant improvement noted during the study period. Men had doubled mortality compared with women (11.2 versus 5.5 percent). Major complications were substantial, including cardiogenic shock (6.6 percent), atrial fibrillation (20.7 percent), cardiac arrest (3.4 percent), congestive heart failure (35.9 percent), and stroke (5.3 percent).

“Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a serious condition with a substantial risk of death and severe complications,” Movahed said in a statement. “The health care team needs to carefully review coronary angiograms that show no significant coronary disease with classic appearance of left ventricular motion, suggesting any subtypes of stress-induced cardiomyopathy. These patients should be monitored for serious complications and treated promptly.”

Abstract/Full Text