Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a severe form of heart failure affecting women peripartum, with unclear etiology and no current expert consensus on an optimal treatment regimen.
This article provides a comprehensive review of peripartum cardiomyopathy, including its incidence, risk factors, pathophysiology, and treatment options.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare and a severe form of heart failure that affects women during pregnancy or shortly after delivery. Risk factors include advanced age, race, multiparity, multifetal pregnancy, socioeconomic disparity, and medical comorbidities including systemic hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and anemia. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as a detrimental long-term impact on quality of life. Its etiology is not clear, although it is thought to be a combined effect of a hyperdynamic fluid state associated with pregnancy, hormonal changes unique to gestation, and a genetic predisposition. There is no current expert consensus on an optimal treatment regimen. This article will provide a comprehensive review and update on this important disease state.
Zagelbaum et al. (Thu,) conducted a review in Peripartum cardiomyopathy. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a severe form of heart failure affecting women peripartum, with unclear etiology and no current expert consensus on an optimal treatment regimen.