Multicenter retrospective database evaluation of Takotsubo syndrome in subjects undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation

Background: Intracardiac catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation with pulmonary vein isolation may result in Takotsubo syndrome (TS), but the frequency, predisposing factors (age, sex, mental health disorders), and outcomes are currently unknown. This study sought to assess the frequency, predisposing factors, and outcomes of subjects who underwent intracardiac catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation with pulmonary vein isolation and were diagnosed with TS. Methods: This was a retrospective observational cohort study utilizing TriNetX® electronic health record (EHR) data. We included subjects aged older than 18 years who underwent intracardiac catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation with pulmonary vein isolation. The study population was divided into two groups (no TS diagnostic code presence and TS diagnostic code presence). We analyzed the distributions of age, sex, race, diagnostic codes, common terminology procedures (CPT), and vasoactive medication codes and examined mortality rate within 30 days. Results: We included 69,116 subjects. Of these, 27 (0.04%) had a TS diagnostic code, the cohort was comprised mostly of females [17 (63.0%)], and 1 (3.7%) death within 30 days was reported. There were no significant differences in age and frequency of mental health disorders between those patients in TS and non-TS cohorts. Adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, patient regionality, and mental health disorder diagnostic code, those patients who developed TS had a significantly higher odds of dying in 30 days after catheter ablation compared to those without TS (OR = 15.97, 95% CI: 2.10–121.55, p =.007). Conclusions: Approximately 0.04% of subjects who underwent intracardiac catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation by pulmonary vein isolation had a subsequent diagnostic code of TS. Further study is needed to determine whether there are predisposing factors associated with the development of TS in subjects who undergo catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation by pulmonary vein isolation.