Fast Five Quiz: How Much Do You Know About 'Broken-Heart Syndrome'?

Cardiac markers, specifically troponin I and troponin T, are elevated in 90% of patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, although to a lesser magnitude than is seen in STEMI. The BNP level is also frequently elevated.

Investigators found evidence that the following ratios were capable of distinguishing Takotsubo cardiomyopathy from STEMI at an early stage:

• Ratio of NTproBNP to troponin I

• Ratio of NTproBNP to creatine kinase MB (CKMB) mass

• Ratio of NTproBNP to EF

Of these, the most accurate marker was the NTproBNP-to-troponin-I ratio.

Several studies looked at levels of circulating catecholamines in the acute phase and found that nearly 75% of patients had elevations markedly higher than those of patients with STEMI.

For more on the workup for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, read here.

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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.

Cite this: Yasmine S. Ali. Fast Five Quiz: How Much Do You Know About 'Broken-Heart Syndrome'? - Medscape - Jan 22, 2018.