Peripartum cardiomyopathy: A systematic review of the literature

• Published in: Clinical cardiology (Mahwah, N.J.) Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 693 - 697
• Main Authors: Asad, Zain Ul Abideen, Maiwand, Mirwais, Farah, Fahmi, Dasari, Tarun W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01-05-2018
• Subjects: Adult; Cardiomyopathies - diagnostic imaging; Cardiomyopathies - mortality; Cardiomyopathies - physiopathology; Cardiomyopathies - therapy; Echocardiography; Female; Humans; Outcomes; Peripartum Cardiomyopathy; Peripartum Period; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular - diagnostic imaging; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular - mortality; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular - physiopathology; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular - therapy; Puerperal Disorders - diagnostic imaging; Puerperal Disorders - mortality; Puerperal Disorders - physiopathology; Puerperal Disorders - therapy; Recovery; Recovery of Function; Review; Reviews; Risk Factors; Stroke Volume; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Function, Left; Young Adult; Recovery; Peripartum Cardiomyopathy; Outcomes
• ISSN: 0160-9289; 1932-8737
• DOI: 10.1002/clc.22932

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare cause of heart failure. It is defined as cardiomyopathy that develops in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months of the postpartum period without an identifiable cause. We conducted a systematic review of literature of prospective studies with a focus on echocardiographic and long‐term clinical outcomes in PPCM. We searched MEDLINE and Embase up to October 1, 2017. Prospective studies (sample size ≥20) reporting all‐cause mortality and follow‐up duration of ≥1 year were included. Of the 956 studies identified, 7 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 445 patients with a mean age of 30 years (range, 27–32 years) were included. The mean follow‐up duration was 41 months (range, 12–61 months). The majority of patients had New York Heart Association class III or IV symptoms at the time of diagnosis. Only 3 studies reported data on ethnicity where the majority of patients were non‐Caucasian. Most of the patients (81%–93%) were on guideline‐directed medical therapy, except 1 study (41%). Left ventricular ejection fraction at baseline ranged from 24% to 35% (mean, 28%) and at follow‐up from 31% to 53% (mean, 44%). Recovery in systolic function was noted in 20% to 82% (mean, 50%) of patients. All‐cause mortality ranged from 0% to 28% (mean, 16%). This systematic review summarizes the evidence to date on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with PPCM. Multicenter registries with long‐term follow‐up will help shed further light on characteristics and outcomes of patients with this rare disease.