Physical Exercise or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an acute cardiac emergency presenting with severe left ventricular dysfunction. Physical exercise training or cognitive behavioral therapy may enhance myocardial recovery after takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

In a prospective multicenter clinical trial conducted between February 2020 and August 2023, patients with acute takotsubo cardiomyopathy were randomized 1:1:1 to physical exercise training, cognitive behavioral therapy, or standard care for 12 weeks after index presentation. The primary end point was resting phosphocreatine/gamma-ATP ratio assessed by ³¹P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Secondary end points were the rate of oxygen consumption at peak exercise on cardiopulmonary exercise testing, 6-minute walk distance, left ventricular global longitudinal strain, and the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire. Twelve-week changes in outcome were compared between allocated trial interventions.

Seventy-six participants were recruited: the median age was 66 years, and 91% were women. Compared with standard care, the primary end point of myocardial phosphocreatine/gamma-ATP ratio was improved by physical exercise training (0.4 [95% CI, 0.1-0.8]; P=0.016) and cognitive behavioral therapy (0.3 [0.01-0.7]; P=0.043). Both physical exercise training and cognitive behavioral therapy improved rate of oxygen consumption at peak exercise (4.7 [1.4-8.0] and 4.0 [1.5-6.4] mL/min per kg; P=0.001 and 0.004, respectively) and 6-minute walk distance (92.6 [24.7-160.6] and 73.3 [7.9-138.8] m; P=0.004 and 0.029, respectively) compared with standard care. There were no differences in global longitudinal strain or symptom burden.

In patients with acute takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a 12-week intervention with exercise training or cognitive behavioral therapy improved left ventricular myocardial energetics and exercise performance without demonstrable effects on symptoms of heart failure.

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04425785.