Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCohort study
Clinical characteristics, echocardiographic findings, and 6-month outcomes in Ugandan women with peripartum cardiomyopathy
- prospective cohort study
- matched for age
- matched controls
Authors' conclusion
This study shows a high mortality rate of 7.5% aligning with global studies, the observed high thrombus burden and stroke occurred in 10% and 2.5%, respectively which may indicate severity of LV systolic dysfunction at presentation. Two-thirds of patients received Bromocriptine in addition to GDMT which may explain the high rate of LV recovery in this cohort.
Study context
- Population
- Women with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in Uganda on goal-directed medical therapy (GDMT)PPCM women, 80 matched controls recruited at baseline as comparison for the biomarkers · cases 80 · controls 80
- Participants
- 80 women
- Exposure
- PPCM cases vs matched controls
- casesn = 80
- controlsn = 80
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
cases
33.6 ± 6.6
mean · years
controls
30.2 ± 5.9
mean · years
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | cases | controls |
|---|---|---|
| LVEF, LV GLS, RV GLS · baseline | ||
| mean LVEF | 35.7 ± 11.0% | 67.2 ± 4.5% |
| mean LV GLS | −11.9 ± 4.7% | −17.1 ± 4.9% |
| mean RV GLS | −14.7 ± 10.9% | Not reported in the abstract |
| Death · 6 months | 7.5% | Not reported in the abstract |
| NYHA I · 6 months | 65% | Not reported in the abstract |
| LV recovery (LVEF ≥ 50%) · 6 months | 46.3% | Not reported in the abstract |
Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), RV GLS · baseline
- all controls had normal RV systolic function parameters
Baseline severity in cases
- LVEF <35%
- 22 (27.5%)
- severe RV systolic dysfunction
- 6 (7.5%)
- NYHA IV
- 20 (25%)
- received bromocriptine therapy in addition to other GDMT
- 54 (68%)
Safety
Atrial fibrillation and intracardiac thrombus · 6 months
- Atrial fibrillation
- 2 (2.5%)
- intracardiac thrombus
- 8 (10%)
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it