Cardiac Disease Burden and Risk of Mortality in Hospitalized Muscular Dystrophy Patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Neuromuscular Disorders

Background:

• Improved management of extra-cardiac issues in muscular dystrophy (MD) increases the likelihood of cardiac complications in affected males.
• The specific impact of cardiomyopathy/heart failure (HF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) on hospitalization and in-hospital mortality in MD patients remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between cardiac disease (cardiomyopathy/HF, VT) and in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest in male patients with MD.
• To compare hospital resource utilization (charges, length of stay) in MD patients with and without cardiac disease.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of inpatient admission data from the Pediatric Health Information System database (2003-2013).
• Inclusion of males aged 6 years and older with MD and cardiac disease diagnoses (cardiomyopathy/HF, VT).
• Logistic regression modeling to identify predictors of cardiac arrest or death; comparison of hospital charges and length of stay.

Main Results:

• Ventricular tachycardia (VT) and cardiomyopathy/heart failure (HF) were identified as significant risk factors for cardiac arrest or death in MD patients.
• Cardiac disease accounted for 58% of cardiac arrests or deaths in the analyzed MD patient cohort.
• MD patients with VT experienced significantly longer hospital stays and higher hospital charges compared to those without cardiac disease or with only cardiomyopathy/HF.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac disease represents a substantial burden for hospitalized patients with muscular dystrophy.
• Ventricular tachycardia and cardiomyopathy/heart failure are associated with a heightened risk of adverse cardiac events, including death, in MD patients.