“Broken Heart Syndrome” Tied to High Rehospitalization Rates

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, nicknamed “broken heart syndrome,” is often triggered by intense emotional or physical stress and is characterized by temporary left ventricular dysfunction. Although the syndrome occurs in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease and the left ventricular ejection fraction recovers after the acute phase, a cohort study showed that patients had a similar likelihood of hospital readmission to those with incident coronary artery disease.