Long-Term Psychological Quality of Life in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

Stress cardiomyopathy (SCM) typically presents similar symptoms to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, these symptoms differ when it comes to a transient and completely reversible myocardial dysfunction, which is frequently precipitated by acute stressful events, occurring in the absence of plaque rupture and coronary thrombosis. Findings suggest that, despite the more favourable medical prognosis of SCM patients, their cardiac condition being transient and resolving completely in few weeks, the psychological impact associated with their condition is more negative 1 year later than in the case of AMI patients whose medical prognosis is less favorable, and this difference is independent of type of trigger event. The purpose of this Chapter is to describe health-related quality of life (HRQL) and emotional burden subsequent to cardiac events in SCM patients.