An Emerging Cardiovascular Disease: Takotsubo Syndrome.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), a cardiac condition, remains incompletely understood.
• It presents as reversible ventricular dysfunction, often mimicking acute myocardial infarction (AMI) but lacking obstructive coronary artery disease.
• Stressors increasing catecholamine levels are implicated, but underlying mechanisms of myocardial dysfunction are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance understanding of Takotsubo syndrome's pathophysiology.
• To update clinical findings for improved patient management based on recent consensus guidelines.
• To review current knowledge on diagnosis and treatment of Takotsubo syndrome.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of literature was conducted.
• Searches were performed on PubMed up to April 2019.
• Keywords included "Takotsubo Syndrome," "Takotsubo cardiomyopathy," "heart failure," "pathophysiology," "complications," "diagnosis," and "treatment."

Main Results:

• TTS is characterized by apical akinesia and is typically triggered by emotional or physical stress.
• Life-threatening complications can occur during hospitalization, and long-term survival data are limited.
• The syndrome can recur, and its complex nature, including phenotypic variability and gender influences, requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• Takotsubo syndrome is more complex than initially recognized.
• Significant gaps remain in understanding its pathophysiologic mechanisms, triggers, and recurrence patterns.
• Prospective randomized clinical trials are essential for developing tailored treatments for TTS patients.