title: Increased incidence of transient left ventricular apical ballooning (so-called 'Takotsubo' cardiomyopathy) after the mid-Niigata Prefecture earthquake.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  On October 23, 2004, a major earthquake, which registered 6.8 on the Richter scale, occurred in Niigata Prefecture in Japan. Emotional stress is important as a trigger of transient left ventricular apical ballooning (so-called 'Takotsubo' cardiomyopathy), but its incidence and clinical profile immediately after a natural disaster have not been fully elucidated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  'Takotsubo' cardiomyopathy was diagnosed in 16 patients (1 man, 15 women, mean age 71.5 years) within 1 month after the earthquake. Of them, 13 (81%) lived in areas where the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale registered 6 or above, and 11 (69%) developed symptoms on the day of the earthquake. The incidence of 'Takotsubo' cardiomyopathy 1 month after the earthquake was approximately 24-fold higher near the epicenter than that before the earthquake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  'Takotsubo' cardiomyopathy can occur on the day of the earthquake in elderly women living near the epicenter.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Tachikawa General Hospital, and Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Japan. masahisatou-circ@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Atushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitazawa
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Yoshifusa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aizawa
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology