Increased incidence of transient left ventricular apical ballooning (so-called 'Takotsubo' cardiomyopathy) after the mid-Niigata Prefecture earthquake.
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.
Sato
Masahito
M
Cardiovascular Center, Tachikawa General Hospital, and Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Japan. masahisatou-circ@umin.ac.jp
Fujita
Satoru
S
Saito
Atushi
A
Ikeda
Yoshio
Y
Kitazawa
Hitoshi
H
Takahashi
Minoru
M
Ishiguro
Junji
J
Okabe
Masaaki
M
Nakamura
Yuichi
Y
Nagai
Tsuneo
T
Watanabe
Hiroshi
H
Kodama
Makoto
M
Aizawa
Yoshifusa
Y
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