title: Left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome in men:  a case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Apical ballooning syndrome usually involves elderly women. We reported the profile of this syndrome in men.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 54 consecutive patients with the syndrome: among them, seven were men (13%, group M) and 47 were women (87%, group F).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men were younger than women (group M 61.7 years vs. group F 72.8 years, median age, P < 0.01) and emotional triggers predominated in women ( group M 14.3% vs. group F 44.7%, P = 0.01) compared with physiological ones which were more frequent in men (group M 42.9% vs. group F 19.1%, P = 0.02). At onset, men were more compromised than women (group M 42.9% vs. group F 6.4%, P = 0.004). At the median follow-up of 18.5 months, more men died than women (group M 28.6% vs. group F 8.5%, P = NS), but only women had cardiac-related deaths (group M 0% vs. group F 6.4%, P = NS). Cardiac outcome was similar in both groups (group M 14.3% vs. group F 23.4%, P = NS). Left ventricular ejection fraction increased in both sexes from 41% to more than 56% (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this small case series, left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome showed similar features in both sexes. However, men seemed to be more affected at younger age, presented more physiological triggers and more compromised clinical status at admission. Despite this, cardiac outcome was good in both sexes.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Department, Ospedale dell'Angelo, Mestre, Italy. paolo.buja@excite.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buja
authors.forename: Guerrino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuin
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cutolo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madalosso
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Millosevich
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Postorino
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbierato
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rigo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raviele
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D013318:Stroke Volume; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left