Increased incidence of transient left ventricular apical ballooning (so-called 'Takotsubo' cardiomyopathy) after the mid-Niigata Prefecture earthquake.

Background: On October 23, 2004, a major earthquake, which registered 6.8 on the Richter scale, occurred in Niigata Prefecture in Japan. Emotional stress is important as a trigger of transient left ventricular apical ballooning (so-called 'Takotsubo' cardiomyopathy), but its incidence and clinical profile immediately after a natural disaster have not been fully elucidated.