Cardio-oncology & otherMeta-analysis

Racial Disparities in U.S. Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

JACC AdvPublished

  • systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
  • published after 2002
  • random-effects meta-analysis

Authors' conclusion

Black women with PPCM experienced lower recovery and higher mortality rates compared with White women. With the exception of a significant difference in payer status, modest differences in previously identified risk factors were observed between racial groups to account for worse outcomes (Disparities in risk factors and outcomes between Black and White US women with peripartum cardiomyopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis; CRD42023439228).

Study context

Population
U.S. women with PPCM and race-stratified risk factors and outcomes
Comparison
Black vs White women in the United States diagnosed with PPCM

Pooled result

As reported in the abstract

Risk factors, cases vs controls
  • Compared with controls, cases had higher rates of obesity, preeclampsia, hypertension, diabetes, multiple gestations, and tobacco use

Further pooled results

Diabetes prevalence

Utilization of public payer

Recovery in ejection fraction

Mortality

Mean

OutcomeBlack casesWhite cases
Left ventricular ejection fraction · At presentation26%29%
  • Diabetes prevalence: P = 0.027
  • Utilization of public payer: P < 0.001
  • Recovery in ejection fraction: P < 0.0001
  • Mortality: P = 0.013

Original publication

Racial Disparities in U.S. Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. JACC Adv. Published 16 March 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacadv.2026.102653

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it