Key result
Unusual triggers such as medical procedures, neurological events, and infectious diseases can lead to stress cardiomyopathy via an excessive catecholamine surge resulting in myocardial stunning.
Why the study?
Stress cardiomyopathy is traditionally linked to acute emotional or physical stress, but recognizing a range of unusual triggers is essential for timely diagnosis and appropriate management.
Recognizing unusual triggers of stress cardiomyopathy is essential for timely diagnosis and appropriate management.
Recognition of unusual triggers may aid stress cardiomyopathy diagnosis; extends known precipitants yet leaves open prospective validation.
Stress cardiomyopathy, also known as apical ballooning syndrome or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is traditionally associated with acute emotional or physical stress. However, recent evidence reveals a range of unusual triggers that can lead to this transient form of heart failure including medical and surgical procedures, neurological events (i.e., seizures and strokes), chronic psychological stress, and endocrine disorders such as hypoglycemia, pharmacological agents, infectious diseases (i.e., sepsis and COVID-19), and environmental stressors such as extreme temperatures or high altitudes. Despite the variety of these triggers, they share a common pathophysiology, primarily involving an excessive catecholamine surge that results in myocardial stunning. Recognizing these unusual causes and presentations is essential for timely diagnosis and appropriate management.
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Cacciapuoti et al. (2025) conducted a review in Stress cardiomyopathy (takotsubo cardiomyopathy). Unusual triggers (medical/surgical procedures, neurological events, chronic psychological stress, endocrine disorders, pharmacological agents, infectious diseases, environmental stressors) was evaluated. Unusual triggers such as medical procedures, neurological events, and infectious diseases can lead to stress cardiomyopathy via an excessive catecholamine surge resulting in myocardial stunning.
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