Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCohort study
The yield and clinical impact of genetic testing in older patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
- Retrospective cohort study
- single referral centre
- consecutive unrelated patients
Authors' conclusion
One fifth of older patients with DCM carry disease causing genetic variants, including those associated with a higher risk of MVA. Adverse event rates in older genotype-positive patients with DCM are comparable to their younger counterparts.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive, unrelated genotyped patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), single referral centre166 genotype-positive
- Participants
- 686 participants
- Exposure
- Genotype-positive patients ≥55 years vs <55 years
- ≥55 yearsn = 54
- <55 yearsn = 94reference
- Outcome
- Composite of:
- End-stage HF
- Malignant ventricular arrhythmia (MVA)
- Follow-up
- Median 50 months
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
End-stage HF or MVA (genotype-positive, no baseline MVA)
P = 0.4
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Yield of genetic testing
- Genotype-positive, all patients
- 166 (24.2%)
- Genotype-positive, patients over 55 years
- 60 of 308 (19.5%)
- Variants in genes with higher malignant ventricular arrhythmia (MVA) risk, genotype-positive over 55 years
- 18 (30%)
Original publication
The yield and clinical impact of genetic testing in older patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Eur J Heart Fail. Published 3 March 2026. doi:10.1093/ejhf/xuag055
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it