Peripartum cardiomyopathy in Turkey

Abstract

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an idiopathic cardiomyopathy presenting with heart failure secondary to left ventricle systolic dysfunction towards the end of pregnancy or in the months following delivery, where no other cause of heart failure is found [1]. Because of relatively low incidence of the disease, the potential racial differences in clinical presentation and outcomes have not been fully understood. Previous reports indicate that the incidence of PPCM vary in different part of the world suggesting a geographical and etnic disparity. Most of the studies have been performed in the USA, Haiti and South Africa. Data is muchmore limited in the rest of the world including European countries. The studies that have been performed were mostly singlecentre caseseries. From the available literature, the incidence of PPCM appears to be around 1 in 1149–4350 in the USA [2–5], 1 in 1000 in South Africa [6–8], and 1 in 300 in Haiti [9,10]. Disappointingly, there are no European studies of the incidence of PPCM in any population. Available data suggest that the prognosis of PPCM also vary geographically. Mortality rates (0%–9.6%) are lowest in the USA [3,11]. However, Modi et al. reported recovery of left ventricle function and survival rates of PPCM patients in the USA similar to those reported from Haiti and South Africa with a mortality rate of 15.9% [12]. Because 87.5% of the patients in this group were African Americans, the authors suggested that race and ethnicity might be responsible for poorer outcomes. In South Africa, case series have demonstrated that mortality rates have slowly improved over time but 6-month and 2-year mortality rates remain at 10 and 28%, respectively [8]. Single centre studies in