UAMS Doctor Presents Broken Heart Syndrome Study at American College of Cardiology

By Holland Doran

April 2, 2014 | Natural disasters may trigger a condition known as broken heart syndrome, according to a study led by Sadip Pant, M.D., senior medicine resident at UAMS.

Pant presented his findings March 29 at the American College of Cardiology’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session in Washington, D.C.  

Broken heart syndrome, or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is characterized by a temporary enlargement and weakening of the heart muscle that is often triggered by extreme physical or emotional stress. Patients may experience chest pain, shortness of breath and other symptoms that mimic those of a heart attack. Broken heart syndrome can lead to severe, short-term heart muscle failure. But it is usually treatable and most people make a full recovery within weeks. Some may be required to take medication for a limited time. 

Pant and other UAMS researchers Abhishek Deshmukh, M.D., cardiology fellow, and Jawahar Mehta, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the UAMS College of Medicine and the Stebbins Chair in Cardiology, conducted a study that identified 21,748 patients diagnosed with primary cases of broken heart syndrome in 2011using a nationwide hospital discharge database.

They found that Vermont and Missouri had the highest rate of cases, with 380 cases per million residents in Vermont and 169 per million in Missouri. Both states experienced significant natural disasters that year.

The number of broken heart syndrome cases in Vermont in 2011 was more than double compared to other states. That year Tropical Storm Irene caused the most devastation the state had experienced since 1927. Similarly, that same year, Missouri had experienced a tornado that ripped through the city of Joplin, killing at least 158 people.

“Despite the seemingly increasing number of natural disasters we have, there is limited data about how it might affect the heart,” Pant said. “Our findings suggest two disasters, one in Vermont and one in Missouri, might have been possible triggers for the clustering of Taskotsubo cardiomyopathy cases in these regions.”

Pant said the syndrome is a reversible form of cardiomyopathy, but patients need to be monitored closely during its acute phase to prevent and manage complications.

Hospital admissions for broken heart syndrome have been on the rise, prompting Pant to conduct the study to find out what might trigger the condition and to encourage education among physicians.  

“It’s also something that emergency doctors and medical personnel need to be aware of as they are often on the frontlines seeing patients after disaster strikes,” Pant said.

It’s still unknown whether the growing number of cases is due to clinicians being more aware of the condition, especially since a reimbursement billing code was established for it in 2006, or if there is a true increase in its incidence. Either way, Pant says it’s important to identify potential triggers.