Cardiovascular and Noncardiovascular Prescribing and Mortality After Takotsubo Comparison With Myocardial Infarction and General Population
- PMID: 38774915
- PMCID: PMC7615966
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100797
Cardiovascular and Noncardiovascular Prescribing and Mortality After Takotsubo Comparison With Myocardial Infarction and General Population
Abstract
Background: Takotsubo syndrome is an increasingly common cardiac emergency with no known evidence-based treatment.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate cardiovascular mortality and medication use after takotsubo syndrome.
Methods: In a case-control study, all patients with takotsubo syndrome in Scotland between 2010 and 2017 (n = 620) were age, sex, and geographically matched to individuals in the general population (1:4, n = 2,480) and contemporaneous patients with acute myocardial infarction (1:1, n = 620). Electronic health record data linkage of mortality outcomes and drug prescribing were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models.
Results: Of the 3,720 study participants (mean age, 66 years; 91% women), 153 (25%) patients with takotsubo syndrome died over the median of 5.5 years follow-up. This exceeded mortality rates in the general population (N = 374 [15%]; HR: 1.78 [95% CI: 1.48-2.15], P < 0.0001), especially for cardiovascular (HR: 2.47 [95% CI: 1.81-3.39], P < 0.001) but also noncardiovascular (HR: 1.48 [95% CI: 1.16-1.87], P = 0.002) deaths. Mortality rates were lower for patients with takotsubo syndrome than those with myocardial infarction (31%, 195/620; HR: 0.76 [95% CI: 0.62-0.94], P = 0.012), which was attributable to lower rates of cardiovascular (HR: 0.61 [95% CI: 0.44-0.84], P = 0.002) but not non-cardiovascular (HR: 0.92 [95% CI: 0.69-1.23], P = 0.59) deaths. Despite comparable medications use, cardiovascular therapies were consistently associated with better survival in patients with myocardial infarction but not in those with takotsubo syndrome. Diuretic (P = 0.01), anti-inflammatory (P = 0.002), and psychotropic (P < 0.001) therapies were all associated with worse outcomes in patients with takotsubo syndrome.
Conclusions: In patients with takotsubo syndrome, cardiovascular mortality is the leading cause of death, and this is not associated with cardiovascular therapy use.
Keywords: cardiovascular; electronic data linkage; medication; mortality; myocardial infarction; takotsubo.
Conflict of interest statement
Dr Dawson has received Chief Scientist Office Scotland award CGA-16-4 and the BHF Research Training Fellowship (FS/RTF/20/30009, for Ms Amelia Rudd). All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.
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Comment in
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Cardiovascular Mortality in Takotsubo Syndrome: A Mystery Awaiting Solving.JACC Adv. 2024 Jan 10;3(2):100798. doi: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100798. eCollection 2024 Feb. JACC Adv. 2024. PMID: 38939369 Free PMC article.
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