Malignant Arrhythmia in Apical Ballooning Syndrome: Risk Factors and Outcomes
Author Information
Author(s): Dib Chadi MD, Prasad Abhiram MD, Friedman Paul A MD, Ahmad Elesber MD, Rihal Charanjit S MD, Hammill Stephen C MD, Asirvatham Samuel J MD
Primary Institution: Mayo Clinic
Hypothesis
What are the risk factors and outcomes associated with malignant arrhythmias in patients with apical ballooning syndrome?
Conclusion
Life-threatening arrhythmia is uncommon in patients with apical ballooning syndrome, but when it occurs, the outcomes can be poor.
Supporting Evidence
- 6 out of 105 patients with apical ballooning syndrome experienced life-threatening arrhythmias.
- Patients with arrhythmias had significantly more variation in their R-R intervals compared to controls.
- Beta-blocker therapy was more common in patients without arrhythmias.
Takeaway
This study looked at patients with a heart condition called apical ballooning syndrome and found that serious heart rhythm problems are rare, but they can happen and lead to bad outcomes.
Methodology
A retrospective review of the Mayo Clinic Angiography database was conducted to identify patients with apical ballooning syndrome and documented arrhythmias.
Potential Biases
The grouping of arrhythmias of varying pathophysiology as malignant may introduce bias.
Limitations
The study was partly retrospective, which may have led to missing data on arrhythmias.
Participant Demographics
All patients in the study group were female with a mean age of 69 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0004
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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