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Survival of patients with familial dilated cardiomyopathy on optimal heart failure therapy

Elisabete Martins1, José Silva Cardoso, Manuel Campelo

  • 1Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital de São João, Porto, Portugal. elisabetemartins09@gmail.com

Revista Portuguesa De Cardiologia : Orgao Oficial Da Sociedade Portuguesa De Cardiologia = Portuguese Journal of Cardiology : an Official Journal of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology
|June 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Familial dilated cardiomyopathy (FDCM) patients on optimal medical therapy show a five-year survival rate of 68%. This prognosis is comparable to other non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy forms.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Genetics
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Familial dilated cardiomyopathy (FDCM) presents significant clinical and genetic variability.
  • Limited survival data exists for FDCM patient subgroups.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the long-term prognosis of FDCM patients receiving optimal medical therapy.
  • To evaluate cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a cohort managed in a heart failure clinic.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study was conducted on 36 FDCM patients.
  • Patient data was collected according to European Society of Cardiology guidelines.
  • Cardiovascular events and mortality were tracked over a mean follow-up of 3.8 years.

Main Results:

  • The cohort had a mean age of 42 years, with 67% in NYHA class II.
  • Baseline ejection fraction was 28%, with significant LV dilation.
  • Five-year survival was 68%, with 5 deaths and 4 heart transplants during follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Optimal medical therapy in FDCM patients yields a five-year survival rate of 68%.
  • This survival mirrors outcomes seen in other non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy types.
Abstract

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