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How many times can a heart be broken?

Tommy Mulleners1, Dagmara Dilling-Boer, Edouard Benit

  • 1Hartcentrum Hasselt, Virga Jesse Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium. tommy.mulleners@virgajesse.be

Acta Cardiologica
|July 15, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, mimics heart attacks but is caused by emotional or physical stress. This condition can occur multiple times in patients, as shown in this case report.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy or 'broken heart' syndrome, is an increasingly recognized condition.
  • It presents similarly to acute myocardial infarction but without significant coronary artery disease.

Observation:

  • This case report details a patient experiencing recurrent episodes of stress-induced cardiomyopathy.
  • The syndrome is characterized by extensive ventricular dysfunction with minimal elevation in cardiac enzymes.

Findings:

  • Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is triggered by acute emotional or physical stress.
  • Angiography typically reveals no significant obstructive coronary disease in affected individuals.

Implications:

  • Understanding the recurrent nature of stress-induced cardiomyopathy is crucial for patient management.
  • This highlights the importance of considering non-ischemic causes of cardiac dysfunction in the context of stress.

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