Direct Comparison of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy between Japan and USA: 3-year Follow-up Study

Abstract

Objective Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) mimics myocardial infarction and is well defined and known to not only Japan but also western countries. However, whether or not there are differences in the characteristics of TC between Japan and USA remains unknown. Patients Data for patients who had undergone urgent left heart catheterization for suspected acute coronary syndrome were retrospectively retrieved from Keio University School of Medicine (KUSM) database in Japan and Lahey Clinic Medical Center (LCMC) database in USA between 2002 and 2007. Results During the study period, 626 coronary angiographies were performed in KUSM and 1,880 coronary angiographies were performed in LCMC. Twelve patients in Japan and 34 patients in USA met the inclusion criteria. Mean age of patients in Japan was 75 years where 92% were women, compared to 67 years and 94% women in USA. Although the prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus were similar between Japan and USA, there was a trend towards fewer patients in Japan displaying a history of coronary revascularization. Surprisingly, a family history of premature coronary artery disease (CAD) was present in 21% of USA patients, whereas no patients were present in Japan. There were no differences in the incidence of readmission for heart failure, cardiac death and TC recurrence during the follow-up period. Conclusion Patients with TC in Japan have fewer prior overt CAD and fewer family history of premature CAD, but no significant differences were found in the long-term prognosis and the recurrence rate between patients in Japan and USA.

Gender Differences in Patients with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: Multi-Center Registry from Tokyo CCU Network

“…Previous studies reported that approximately 8% to 10% of TC patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD) exhibited akinetic areas extending beyond one coronary artery region [ 1 , 2 ]. In this study, 31 of the 315 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization had CAD.…”

Epidemiology and Clinical Profile of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

“…28 Although large-scale direct comparisons have not been made between racial groups, 1 small study found no major distinctions in clinical characteristics among Asian and Caucasian TTC patients. 29 …”

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy developing during recovery from general anesthesia: A case report

“…In a study by Maekawa et al, psychological or physical stress was determined in more than 50% of patients [5]. Deniz et al operated on a 92-year old patient under spinal anesthesia for transurethral resectionbladder tumor (TUR-BT) and reported that TC developed at 1 hour postoperatively [6].…”