Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: Literature Review

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare cause of heart failure that affects women during the last month of pregnancy to the first five months after delivery. The disease occurs in about one in 1,000 births in the U.S. Risk factors include advanced age, multiparity, twin pregnancy, African origin, preeclampsia or preexisting hypertension, and severe anemia. Heart failure in PPCM is treated similarly to heart failure from other causes, bearing in mind the pregnancy and lactation status. In this review article, we discuss the background, etiology, clinical evaluation, treatment, and natural history of peripartum cardiomyopathy, with a major emphasis on treatment.