The role of inflammation in stress cardiomyopathy

Stress cardiomyopathy (SC) is an increasingly recognized form of acute heart failure, which has been linked to a wide variety emotional and physical triggers. The pathophysiological mechanisms the disease remain incompletely understood, however, inflammation recently shown play pivotal role. This review summarizes most notable findings myocardial inflammation, demonstrated from biopsies cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in humans. In stage macrophage infiltration appears represent substrate for edema, together defining local inflammation. evolve into low grade systemic chronic could explain protracted clinical course these patients raises hope finding specific SC biomarker as well therapeutic breakthrough. As parallel human covers some emerging mechanistic insights experimental models, which, albeit not proven condition, highlight possible importance pursuing distinct paths investigation such beta-receptor signaling, aberrations nitric oxide generation signaling contribution vascular endothelium/permeability edema during stage.