What's going on with stress cardiomyopathy?

Stress cardiomyopathy is a stress-related reversible cardiomyopathy with ballooning of the left ventricular mid-or apical region, often accompanied by left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and/or mitral regurgitation, and a good prognosis. The main characteristics of stress cardiomyopathy include: 1. ballooning of the left ventricular mid-or apical region, usually segmental motion abnormalities; 2. often associated with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and/or mitral regurgitation; 3. elevated serum myocardial markers, usually to a lesser extent; 4. good prognosis, with most patients returning to normal within weeks to months. The etiology of stress cardiomyopathy is still not completely clear. It may be related to catecholamine excessive release, coronary artery spasm, myocardial stunning and other factors. Common causes include severe physical disease, mental stress, strenuous exercise, etc. Diagnosis mainly depends on clinical manifestations, ECG, echocardiography and other examinations. Coronary angiography is helpful to exclude coronary atherosclerotic heart disease. Treatment mainly includes treatment for primary disease, symptomatic support treatment and psychological intervention. For symptomatic patients, vasoactive drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs and other relief symptoms can be used. It should be noted that stress cardiomyopathy is more common in elderly women, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and other populations. For patients with the above underlying diseases, when encountering stress events, they should pay close attention to their symptoms and seek medical attention in time if they are not adapted. At the same time, doctors should also pay attention to excluding other diseases that may lead to similar symptoms, such as acute myocardial infarction and aortic dissection. In conclusion, stress cardiomyopathy is a treatable disease, and early diagnosis and treatment can improve the prognosis of patients.