Background: Regarding the lack of earlier studies on sexual function in female patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TSCM), the current study aimed at an investigation of psychological and quality of life measures associated with sexual function in female patients with TSCM.

Methods: In this Prospective case-control study, female patients with TSCM from university hospitals in Tehran and Qazvin were enrolled and matched (1:1.1) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) along with healthy controls (94 patients per group). Data on hospital anxiety and depression scale, SF-12, female sexual function index and female sexual distress scale were assessed at baseline, 6 months and 18 months. Multilevel logistic regressions ought associations between variables.

Results: Sexual function, anxiety and depression at baseline were different among the groups with worse situations in female patients with TSCM (p < 0.01). Quality of life at baseline was similar among patient groups but at lower state than healthy controls. Overall, quality of life subscales especially among female patients with TSCM showed a downward trend, indicating deterioration overtime. Higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction in TSCM group was seen compared to female patients with AMI and control group over time (OR, 3.10 and 2.28 respectively). Sexual functioning was found to be a mediator between anxiety and quality of life which positively impacts on patient’s quality of life.

Conclusions: Since the psychological and quality of life measures as well as sexual function indicated a descending trend across time, there is a necessity to intervene for these women by focus on problems like anxiety to control health deterioration.