Various vaccines have been rapidly developed and administered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, accompanying the widespread vaccination efforts, there has been a notable increase in the occurrence of side effects and adverse events related to COVID-19 vaccines. Research has unveiled a potential association between COVID-19 vaccines and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, with two fatalities among 16 patients.
The clinical presentation of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy resembles that of acute myocardial infarction, with common symptoms including acute chest pain and breathlessness. Its hallmark is impaired left ventricular function, typically occurring after intense emotional or physical stressors such as the death of a loved one, traumatic events, or severe illness. This condition, first identified by Japanese physician Dr. Hikaru Sato in 1990, is named “Takotsubo” due to the balloon-like bulging of the left ventricle, resembling the octopus-catching pot used in Japan.
