To explore the bidirectional association between acute neurological disorders and stress-induced cardiomyopathy.
There is evidence suggesting a possible association between acute neurological disorders and stress-induced cardiomyopathy. However, the prevalence and phenotype of acute neurological diseases in patients with stress-induced cardiomyopathy and vice versa are yet to be explored.
A comprehensive search was conducted for relevant studies across multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane, and clinical trial registries. Meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software, version 3.
The quantitative synthesis comprised 52 studies with 14,946,297 individuals. The pooled mean age for the Takotsubo population was 61.46±14.63 years. Pooled analysis revealed that Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) was observed in 6.3% [proportion, 0.063; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.030-0.128, I2=98.88] of the population with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), 0.5% (proportion, 0.005; 95% CI, 0.001-0.030, I2=96.29) with seizures, and 0.3% (proportion, 0.003; 95% CI, 0.0004-0.021, I2=98.87) with ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA). Likewise, neurogenic stress cardiomyopathy (NCM) occurred in 15.9% (proportion, 0.159; 95% CI, 0.135-0.186, I2=28.17) of the population with SAH. Conversely, 2.5% (proportion, 0.025; 95% CI, 0.021-0.030, I2=85.85) and 1.8% (proportion, 0.018; 95% CI, 0.018-0.019, I2=0) of the population with TCM experienced ischemic stroke/TIA and migraine headaches as a consequence, respectively. The pooled analysis also depicted that TCM was associated as an outcome with traumatic brain injury (9%, 9/100), intracranial hemorrhage (0.26%, 234/88677), and status epilepticus (56.25%, 18/32). The pooled data from three studies showed higher odds of ischemic stroke/TIA (OR, 4.39; 95% CI, 1.52-12.70, I2=90%) in patients with TCM.
This review represents the largest to-date synthesis of evidence on the association between stress-induced cardiomyopathy and acute neurological diseases. We conclude that TCM and NCM are highly prevalent in patients with SAH. Additionally, ischemic stroke/TIA and migraine are notable consequences in patients with TCM.