People with broken heart syndrome, also known as
Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), should be screened for cancer, suggests a new study
published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. And, a
history of malignancy might increase the risk for TTS.
In the study of 1,604 people with broken heart syndrome,
16.6% showed an association with malignancy. The most frequent type of
malignancy was breast cancer 26.2%, followed by tumors affecting the
gastrointestinal system 16.1%, respiratory tract 15.4%, internal sex organs
14.6%, skin 13.1%, lymphatic system 7.1%, endocrine organs 6.7%, urinary tract
5.2%, hematologic 3.0% and the central nervous system 2.2%.
Patients with malignancy were older and more likely to
have physical triggers (after a medical intervention
or physical trauma), but less likely to have emotional trigger as the
inciting event compared with those without malignancy. Long‐term
mortality was higher in patients with malignancy while short‐term
outcome was comparable. Malignancy was as an independent predictor of long‐term
mortality.
C‐reactive protein levels were significantly higher
in the TTS patients with malignancy in those without malignancy, while the
total white blood cell counts were not different between the groups. The raised
CRP levels were attributed to as a marker of the comorbidity.
TTS patients with malignancy on initial presentation
experienced chest pain less frequently, but had dyspnea more often.
(Source: Journal of the American Heart Association,
Published July 17, 2019)
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of
Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart Care Foundation of
India
Past National President
IMA
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