Abstract 16800: Influence of Triggering Events on the Manifestation and Clinical Course of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

Purpose: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC), an acute form of heart failure, is often preceded by stressful events. In a large registry we evaluated the influence of triggering events on the manifestation of TTC. Methods: From 37 hospitals, 324 pts (296f, 28m, age 68±12) were included in the registry according to established TTC criteria. All pts were asked if a stressful event preceded TTC onset. Results: A trigger was identified in 77%. Emotional stress was reported by 117 (36%), physical stress by 104 (31%) and a combination of both stress modalities felt to be equal by 29 pts (9%). In 74 pts (23%) no trigger was identified. The 4 groups were compared by analysis of variance. Age was not different. Physical stress was more frequent in males (57% vs 30%, p=0.005), emotional stress or no identifiable trigger were more prevalent in women. Pts with emotional stress as compared with physical, both or no stress more frequently complained about angina (94% vs 57% vs 59% vs 64%, p<0.0001) and less frequently about...