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.
Abstract

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