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Published on: December 11, 2017
Left bundle branch block as an electrocardiographic pattern at presentation of patients with Tako-tsubo
Guido Parodi1, Claudia Salvadori, Stefano Del Pace
1Department of Cardiology, Careggi Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. parodiguido@libero.it
Insights
Left bundle branch block (LBBB) occurs in 9% of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy patients. While initially associated with higher mortality, LBBB is not an independent predictor of poor outcomes in TTC when adjusted for other factors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a condition mimicking acute myocardial infarction.
- Left bundle branch block (LBBB) presence is linked to adverse outcomes in myocardial infarction patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of LBBB in TTC patients.
- To assess the clinical profile and outcomes of TTC patients with LBBB.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 84 TTC patients diagnosed between July 2003 and December 2006.
- Evaluation of patient demographics, medical history, cardiac biomarkers (creatine kinase-MB), ejection fraction, and mortality rates.
- Statistical analysis including Cox regression to identify independent predictors of death.
Main Results:
- LBBB was present in 9% of TTC patients.
- Patients with LBBB were older and had higher peak creatine kinase-MB levels.
- Unadjusted mortality was higher in TTC patients with LBBB (25% vs. 3%), but age was the only independent predictor of death.
Conclusions:
- LBBB is present in a small percentage of TTC patients.
- While unadjusted mortality is higher in TTC patients with LBBB, it is not an independent predictor of poor outcome after adjusting for age and other factors.
Background:
Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a recently described clinical condition that may mimic acute myocardial infarction. The presence or new onset of left bundle branch block (LBBB) is associated with adverse outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Objective:
We sought to assess the incidence, clinical profile, and outcome of patients with TTC and LBBB at presentation.
Methods And Results:
From July 2003 to December 2006, 84 consecutive patients met the diagnostic criteria for TTC. LBBB was present in eight (9%) patients at presentation. Patients with LBBB tended to be older (77 +/- 11 years versus 72 +/- 10 years; P=0.186), and with a more frequent, but not statistically significant, history of hypertension (75 versus 53%; P=0.227), and chronic renal failure (25 versus 8%, P=0.117). Moreover, patients with LBBB showed a higher peak creatine kinase-MB value (76 +/- 32 U/I versus 21 +/- 31 U/I; P=0.005), and a lower, but not significantly, baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (30 +/- 13% versus 36 +/- 9%; P=0.107), as compared with patients without LBBB. Follow-up length was 12 +/- 10 months. The mortality rate was higher in patients with LBBB as compared with those without (25 and 3%; P=0.005). However, at Cox analysis the only independent predictor of death was age (P=0.042).
Conclusion:
LBBB was documented at presentation in 9% of TTC patients. At long-term follow-up, TTC patients with LBBB showed increased unadjusted mortality. However, when adjusted for age, baseline characteristics, and concomitant diseases, LBBB did not appear to be an independent predictor of poor outcome in patients with TTC.
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