The Broken Heart Syndrome: Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

First described in 1990, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy consists of a transient systolic dysfunction of localized segments of the left ventricle. Commonly occurring in postmenopausal women, Takotsubo is often associated with intense physical and/or emotional stress. It is traditionally identified by distinctive wall motion patterns on trans-thoracic echocardiogram and left ventriculography. Further understanding of disease mechanisms and recognition of at-risk populations has potentially tremendous therapeutic benefit.
Source: Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research