Recurrence of peripartum cardiomyopathy in subsequent pregnancy stratified by left ventricular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Pooled result · PPCM relapseResult — go to the resultRate ratio (RR) 0.77 95% CI 0.50–1.19Authors' conclusion
Recovered LVEF prior to subsequent pregnancy is associated with improved maternal outcomes, yet relapse remains common.
Study context
- Population
- Women with prior peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in a subsequent pregnancy
- Participants
- 266 women · 6 cohort studies
- Comparison
- Recovered vs non-recovered left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) before subsequent pregnancy
- Recoveredn = 174
- Non-recoveredn = 92reference
- Outcome
- PPCM relapse
- Follow-up
- During subsequent pregnancy
Methodological detailsrandom-effects models, PRISMA, ROBINS-E risk of bias
- Random-effects models
- PRISMA
- ROBINS-E risk of bias
Pooled result
PPCM relapse
Rate ratio (RR)
0.77
95% CI 0.50–1.19
Recovered vs Non-recovered
rate ratio (RR) 0.77 (95% CI 0.50–1.19)
As reported in the abstract
Further pooled results
| Outcome | Recovered | Non-recovered | RR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal mortality · I2 = 0% | 1.7% | 10.9% | 0.27 (0.09–0.87) | ||
| 0.050.21520Relative risk (log scale) |
| Outcome | Estimate | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Mean LVEF during subsequent pregnancy | MD 17.0 | P < 0.001 |
| Postpartum LVEF · I2 = 84% | MD 11.69 | P = 0.005 |
| LV recovery · I2 = 0% | RR 2.07 | P = 0.005 |
Symptom worsening, obstetric/neonatal outcomes
- No significant differences
Original publication
Recurrence of peripartum cardiomyopathy in subsequent pregnancy stratified by left ventricular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Heart Fail. Published 5 March 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it