Key result
Cardiac rehabilitation shows no LVEF benefit in Takotsubo syndrome but improves exercise capacity.
Why the study?
Symptoms and impaired exercise capacity can persist about 1 year after Takotsubo syndrome despite normalization of LVEF, motivating evaluation of cardiac rehabilitation effects.
Does cardiac rehabilitation improve cardiac structure and function, functional exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life in patients with Takotsubo syndrome?
Cohort (n=57)
Does cardiac rehabilitation improve cardiac structure and function, functional exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life in patients with Takotsubo syndrome?
Cardiac rehabilitation in patients with Takotsubo syndrome significantly improves functional exercise capacity and quality of life, despite not providing additive benefits to natural cardiac structural and functional recovery.
May support cardiac rehabilitation for exercise capacity gains in Takotsubo syndrome; hypothesis-generating and leaves open need for randomized confirmation.
Purpose: Despite normalization of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), symptoms and impaired exercise capacity can persist ~1 year after Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). We evaluated the impact of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on cardiac structure and function, functional exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with TTS. Methods: Patients with TTS who completed (TTS-CR, n = 33) and did not complete (TTS-CTL, n = 24) CR were retrospectively analyzed. Cardiac structure and function (via echocardiogram) were assessed at index hospitalization and follow-up (post-CR in TTS-CR; >1 month later in TTS). The 6-minute walk test distance and Dartmouth Cooperative Functional Assessment Charts quality-of-life score were assessed pre- and post-CR (TTS-CR). Major adverse cardiovascular events within 1-year post index hospitalization were recorded (all groups). Results: The LVEF improved similarly in TTS-CR (39 ± 9% vs 60 ± 6%) and TTS (39 ± 10% vs 60 ± 7%, P = .58). The left ventricular end-diastolic volume decreased similarly in TTS-CR (125 ± 40 vs 105 ± 37 mL) and TTS-CTL (126 ± 26 vs 109 ± 27 mL, P = .81). In TTS-CR, 6-minute walk test distance (330 ± 126 vs 364 ± 97 m, P = .007) and Dartmouth Cooperative Functional Assessment Charts quality-of-life score (22 ± 6 vs 19 ± 7 m, P = .04) improved significantly from pre- to post-CR. Rates of major adverse cardiovascular events were similar between groups ( P > .05). Conclusions: Cardiac rehabilitation did not enhance cardiac structural or functional recovery but did improve functional exercise capacity and HRQoL in patients with TTS.
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Tayon et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Takotsubo syndrome (n=57). Cardiac rehabilitation vs. Did not complete cardiac rehabilitation was evaluated on Left ventricular ejection fraction at follow-up (p=0.58). Cardiac rehabilitation did not enhance left ventricular ejection fraction recovery in patients with Takotsubo syndrome (60% vs 60%, P=0.58) but significantly improved functional exercise capacity.
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