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Cardiol Res 2020 Jun 3;11(3):185-191. Epub 2020 May 3.

Cardiology and Vascular Medicine Department, Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia.

Background: Many studies have shown that T-peak to T-end (TPTE) interval was associated with sudden cardiac events. Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) causes reversible left ventricle systolic dysfunction which may deteriorate into sudden cardiac death. This study aimed to evaluate beta-blocker as an antiarrhythmic agent to improve TPTE interval as a prognostic value of sudden cardiac death. Read More

Pregnancy Hypertens 2020 May 29;21:111-117. Epub 2020 May 29.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between serum total protein (TP) levels and maternal/neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with preeclampsia.

Study Design: TP was measured at preeclampsia diagnosis and delivery in 94 women with singleton pregnancies and preeclampsia as hypertension with proteinuria who delivered at ≥ 22 gestational weeks (GWs). As a control group, measurements were also made in 188 women with singleton pregnancies without hypertension and/or proteinuria. Read More

Eur J Heart Fail 2020 May 25. Epub 2020 May 25.

IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy.

J Vasc Surg 2020 May 19. Epub 2020 May 19.

Professor of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, University of Colorado, Anschutz medical center, CPC Research, Aurora, CO.

Background: Acute limb ischemia (ALI) carries significant overall morbidity and mortality. Pregnant and postpartum women are physiologically hypercoagulable, but little is known about the impact of ALI in this cohort of patients. The goal of this systematic review was to gather available data on diagnosis and treatment of ALI during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Read More

Int J Obstet Anesth 2020 Apr 20. Epub 2020 Apr 20.

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Cardiothoracic ICU, Department of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, National University Heart Centre, National University Hospital, Singapore. Electronic address:

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as salvage therapy for patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure has increased significantly in the past decade. However, the use of ECMO in pregnant and peripartum patients has received scant attention. We performed a systematic review of case reports in the literature, documenting indications and outcomes of ECMO in pregnancy and postpartum patients. Read More

Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2020 Apr;10(2):325-335

Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, in which previously healthy women present with heart failure secondary to left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction during the last months of pregnancy or up to 5 months postpartum. PPCM occurs worldwide. The incidence seems to be increasing, possibly due to increasing awareness of the condition and diagnosis thereof. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2020 28;7:67. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Department of Physiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinical tachyarrhythmia with a strong tendency to progress in time. AF is difficult to treat and therefore there is a great need to dissect root causes of AF with the ultimate goal to develop mechanism-based (drug) therapies. New findings related to mechanisms driving AF progression indicate a prime role for DNA damage-induced metabolic remodeling. Read More

Cardiovasc Res 2020 May 12. Epub 2020 May 12.

Cardiovascular Program ICCC- Research Institute Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, IIB-Sant Pau, Avda. Sant Antoni Maria Claret 167, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.

Clin Lab 2020 May;66(5)

Background: Vasoinhibin is generated in the pituitary gland and in multiple target tissues by proteolytic cleavage of prolactin by matrix metalloproteinases and cathepsin D. A dysregulation of vasoinhibin generation appears to contribute to diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, retinopathy of prematurity, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and preeclampsia. Here, we investigate whether vasoinhibin is generated by matrix metalloproteinases and cathepsin D in human serum. Read More

Cardiovasc Res 2020 May 4. Epub 2020 May 4.

National Heart Research Institute Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore.

Normal cardiac contractile and relaxation function are critically dependent on a continuous energy supply. Accordingly, metabolic perturbations and impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics with subsequent disruption of ATP production underpin a wide variety of cardiac diseases, including diabetic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, anthracycline cardiomyopathy, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and mitochondrial cardiomyopathies. Crucially, there are no specific treatments for preventing the onset or progression of these cardiomyopathies to heart failure, one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Read More

MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2020 May/Jun;45(3):176-182

Dr. Jo Ann Donnenwirth is Dean of Nursing, Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Canton, OH. Dr. Donnenwirth can be reached via e-mail at Dr. Rosanna Hess is an Adjunct Nursing Faculty, Malone School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Canton, OH. Dr. Ratchneewan Ross is a Cone Health Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC.

Purpose: Peripartum cardiomyopathy, a traumatic life-threatening type of heart failure, occurs in the last trimester of pregnancy or shortly after childbirth. Little is known about psychological or emotional conditions women experience with peripartum cardiomyopathy. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among post-traumatic stress, depression, and quality of life in women with peripartum cardiomyopathy. Read More

Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 2020 Jun;33(3):277-283

Department of Anesthesia, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan, Gent, Belgium.

Purpose Of Review: This review focuses on the use of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in the obstetric context for airway management and assessment of aspiration risk, the placement of neuraxial blocks and the diagnosis and follow-up of cardiorespiratory dysfunction.

Recent Findings: Gastric ultrasound is a useful aspiration risk assessment tool in pregnant patients. Total gastric fluid assessment models and specific cut-offs between high-risk and low-risk stomachs are presented. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2020 Mar 3. Epub 2020 Mar 3.

Section of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.

Aims: Data on the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiogenic shock in peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is limited. We queried the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry for PPCM patients treated with ECMO in order to characterize demographic and clinical features, complications, survival, and variables associated with mortality.

Methods And Results: This was a retrospective review of patients voluntarily entered into the ELSO Registry. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2020 Jun 16;125(11):1718-1724. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

To analyze pregnancy outcomes of patients with heart disease in a single center and to explore the risk factors of adverse outcomes. One thousand thirty-three pregnant women with heart disease were retrospectively included from 2010 to 2017. We collected data of maternal, obstetric, and fetal outcomes. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2020 May 5;125(10):1508-1516. Epub 2020 Mar 5.

Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, School of Primary, Community and Social Care, Keele University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK; The Heart Centre, University Hospital of North Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a major cause of maternal morbidity. However, short-term outcomes of HDP subgroups remain unknown. Using National Inpatient Sample database, all delivery hospitalizations between 2004 and 2014 with or without HDP (preeclampsia/eclampsia, chronic hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia on chronic hypertension, and gestational hypertension) were analyzed to examine the association between HDP and adverse in-hospital outcomes. Read More

Case Rep Womens Health 2020 Apr 26;26:e00196. Epub 2020 Mar 26.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States of America.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is characterized by development of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and heart failure that occurs towards the end of pregnancy or in the postpartum period in the absence of structural heart disease. A complex interplay of pathophysiological mechanisms likely contributes to the PPCM phenotype. Mutations in the mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase gene (TXNRD2) have been identified as a cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. Read More

Biol Sex Differ 2020 Apr 6;11(1):14. Epub 2020 Apr 6.

Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Molecular Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, BH-550 CHS, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7115, USA.

Many crucial cardiovascular adaptations occur in the body during pregnancy to ensure successful gestation. Maladaptation of the cardiovascular system during pregnancy can lead to complications that promote cardiac dysfunction and may lead to heart failure (HF). About 12% of pregnancy-related deaths in the USA have been attributed to HF and the detrimental effects of cardiovascular complications on the heart can be long-lasting, pre-disposing the mother to HF later in life. Read More

Br J Hosp Med (Lond) 2020 Mar 28;81(3):1-2. Epub 2020 Mar 28.

Department of Cardiology, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Circ Heart Fail 2020 Apr 2;13(4):e006811. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Division of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (J.K., M.M.K.).

Background: Pregnancy after heart transplantation (HT) is a concern for many female recipients. The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation has guidelines regarding reproductive health, but limited data exist regarding providers' attitudes and practices surrounding pregnancy post-HT.

Methods: We conducted an independent, confidential, voluntary, web-based survey sent electronically to 1643 United States heart transplant providers between June and August 2019. Read More

PLoS One 2020 27;15(3):e0230386. Epub 2020 Mar 27.

Division of Cardiovascular Health & Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America.

Probenecid has been used for decades in the treatment of gout but recently has also been found to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure via stimulation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) channel in cardiomyocytes. This study tested the use of probenecid on a novel mouse model of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) as a potential treatment option. A human mutation of the human heat shock protein 20 (Hsp20-S10F) in mice has been recently shown to result in cardiomyopathy, when exposed to pregnancies. Read More

Case Rep Anesthesiol 2020 29;2020:1937589. Epub 2020 Feb 29.

Department of Anesthesiology, Royal Victoria Hospital-Glen Site, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is described as a cardiomyopathy with an increase in left ventricle trabeculations and recesses. We report a rare case of persistent pregnancy-acquired LVNC cardiomyopathy and review the anesthetic peripartum management strategies. A 33-year-old parturient was followed closely by the high-risk obstetric service for her second pregnancy. Read More

Future Cardiol 2020 Mar 17. Epub 2020 Mar 17.

Cardiovascular Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an idiopathic reduction in left ventricular function, presenting at the peripartum period. The diagnosis is based on echocardiographic features and excluding other causes of heart failure. Similar to any other cause of heart failure, the management of PPCM consists of diuretics, prevention of ventricular remodeling, preventing short and long-term complications. Read More

An Sist Sanit Navar 2020 Apr 20;43(1):93-97. Epub 2020 Apr 20.

Medicina Interna. Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet. Zaragoza..

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an idiopathic cardiomyopathy that is caused by heart failure secondary to a dysfunction of the left ventricle at the end of pregnancy or in the first months following childbirth. The diagnosis is performed by electrocardiogram, radiography of the thorax and increase of natriuretic peptides. Bedside radiography can contribute with data that help early diagnosis. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Mar;99(11):e19524

Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences, Ankara City Hospital.

The clinical significance of poor nutritional status in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is not clearly understood. Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a simple nutritional assessment tool, which was first demonstrated to be valuable in patients with colorectal surgeries. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of PNI in patients with PPCM. Read More

BMC Psychiatry 2020 Mar 11;20(1):114. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Moi University, P. O. Box 3900-30100, Eldoret, Kenya.

Background: This case report highlights the rare occurrence of postpartum psychosis in the setting of peripartum cardiomyopathy, which can have rare presentations like arrhythmias and pulmonary edema; and the challenges one should anticipate while managing these conditions together. Caution is advised whenever antipsychotic drugs are to be administered to a patient with a cardiac condition as these drugs potentially increase the risk of arrhythmias and sudden death.

Case Presentation: A 35 year old grand multiparous woman who was 1 week into puerperium was admitted with severe difficulty in breathing at rest, chest congestion and pain. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2020 18;7. Epub 2020 Feb 18.

Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy.

The burden of pregnancy-related heart disease has dramatically increased over the last decades due to the increasing age at first pregnancy and higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Pregnancy is associated with physiological changes in the cardiovascular system, including hemodynamic, metabolic, and hormonal adaptations to meet the increased metabolic demands of the mother and fetus. It has been postulated that pregnancy may act as a cardiovascular stress test to identify women at high risk for heart disease, where the inability to adequately adapt to the physiologic stress of pregnancy may reveal the presence of genetic susceptibility to cardiovascular disease or accelerate the phenotypic expression of both inherited and acquired heart diseases, such as peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Read More

Herz 2020 May;45(3):212-220

Dept. of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common form of cardiomyopathy and one of the most common causes of heart failure. It is characterized by left or biventricular dilation and a reduced systolic function. The causes are manifold and range from myocarditis to alcohol and other toxins, to rheumatological, endocrinological, and metabolic diseases. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2020 Apr 17;7(2):512-522. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

Department of Cardiology and Angiology, MHH, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625, Hannover, Germany.

Aims: This study aims to compare the clinical course of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) cohorts from Germany (G-PPCM) and South Africa (SA-PPCM) with fibrosis-related markers to get insights into novel pathomechanisms of PPCM.

Methods And Results: G-PPCM (n = 79) and SA-PPCM (n = 72) patients and healthy pregnancy-matched women from Germany (n = 56) and South Africa (n = 40) were enrolled. Circulating levels of procollagen type-I (PINP) and type-III (PIIINP) N-terminal propeptides, soluble ST2, galectin-3, and full-length and cleaved osteopontin (OPN) were measured at diagnosis (baseline) and 6 months of follow-up. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2020 Apr 28;305:113-114. Epub 2020 Jan 28.

Co-Director of IPAC, center at University Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Hospital Albert Schweitzer, Deschapelles, Haiti. Electronic address:

JA Clin Rep 2019 Jun 7;5(1):38. Epub 2019 Jun 7.

Department of Anesthesiology, Kansai Medical University Hospital, 2-3-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1191, Japan.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy is an uncommon form of heart failure that occurs in otherwise healthy women during pregnancy or until 5 months postpartum. Here, we report a rare case where a female patient underwent cesarean section after the occurrence of preeclampsia and intrauterine fetal death, and developed peripartum cardiomyopathy following postsurgical respiratory distress. The prompt initiation of inotropic drug and bromocriptine therapy quickly restored cardiac function. Read More

Cardiol Rev 2020 May/Jun;28(3):148-155

From the Department of Medicine and Cardiology Division, Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare and a severe form of heart failure that affects women during pregnancy or shortly after delivery. Risk factors include advanced age, race, multiparity, multifetal pregnancy, socioeconomic disparity, and medical comorbidities including systemic hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and anemia. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as a detrimental long-term impact on quality of life. Read More

Cleve Clin J Med 2020 01 2;87(1):43-52. Epub 2020 Jan 2.

Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, New Haven, CT

Pregnancy can exacerbate known cardiovascular disorders and unmask previously unrecognized problems. Patients with congenital heart disorders, valvular disease, primary pulmonary hypertension, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and acquired peripartum cardiomyopathy need a collaborative interdisciplinary team that includes a cardiologist with specialty training in obstetrics. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2020 Feb 28;7(1):235-243. Epub 2020 Jan 28.

Department of Medicine, Usman Dan-Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria.

Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the incidence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in Nigeria.

Methods And Results: The study was conducted in 22 hospitals in Nigeria, and PPCM patients were consecutively recruited between June 2017 and March 2018. To determine factors associated with PPCM, the patients were compared with apparently healthy women who recently delivered, as controls. Read More

Lakartidningen 2020 01 24;117. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

Uppsala Universitet - Centrum för forskning och utveckling, Uppsala, Sweden, Region Gävleborg, Gävle Sweden Uppsala Universitet - Centrum för forskning och utveckling, Uppsala, Sweden Region Gävleborg, Gävle Sweden.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is defined as heart failure, with ejection fraction less than 45% that presents late during pregnancy or the first five months postpartum. Despite being described first in 1849 by Ritchie the mechanisms behind the disease are still not fully understood. However, oxidative stress during pregnancy and the cleavage of prolactine into its 16 kDa fragment appears to play a role in the pathophysiology of peripartum cardiomyopathy. Read More

ASAIO J 2020 Jan 22. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

Liver Intensive Care & ECMO, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

Despite considerable advances in maternity care, maternal death rates remain unacceptably high. Even with optimal care, unexpected complications can result in catastrophic consequences. Hemorrhage, cardiovascular and coronary conditions, and cardiomyopathy make up the three most common causes of pregnancy-associated deaths, followed by sepsis and thromboembolic disease. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2020 Jan;75(2):207-221

Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a form of systolic heart failure affecting young women toward the end of pregnancy or in the months following delivery. Incidence is higher in African-American women and in women with older maternal age, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and multiple gestation pregnancies. Symptoms of heart failure mimic those of normal pregnancy, often resulting in a delay in diagnosis and preventable complications. Read More

Adv J Emerg Med 2020 31;4(1):e12. Epub 2019 Oct 31.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA.

Introduction: Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia (BVT) is a rare arrhythmia characterized by QRS complexes with an axis in the frontal plane alternating polarity in the precordial leads and right bundle branch block (RBBB) morphology. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous report in dilated cardiomyopathy or in the context of a probable peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Case Presentation: A 26-year-old, 9-month female patient, with no significant past medical history (the patient denies medication intake, herbs like aconite, trouble during delivery, any heart issues or family history of sudden death or cardiomyopathies) who presents to the emergency room due to 11 days of dyspnea, exacerbated by daily activities, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Read More

Cureus 2019 Dec 7;11(12):e6319. Epub 2019 Dec 7.

Internal Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, Islamabad, PAK.

We report a case of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), which presented with antenatal pre-eclampsia complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI). A 25-year-old patient in her 27 week of gestation presented with high blood pressure. She was later diagnosed with PPCM, which was complicated by AKI. Read More

J Cardiol Cases 2020 Jan 27;21(1):1-4. Epub 2019 Sep 27.

Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare disorder in which left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction and symptoms of heart failure (HF) occur in the peripartum period. The time to potential recovery from severe remodeling of ventricular function is difficult to predict. Although lack of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is reportedly associated with functional recovery of the LV in some cardiomyopathies, the impact of LGE in PPCM remains unclear. Read More

Obstet Gynecol 2020 Feb;135(2):396-400

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, and the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut.

Background: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes only 2-4% of all acute hepatitis but has high morbidity and mortality. Pregnancy is a risk factor for HSV hepatitis. We describe a case of gestational HSV hepatitis. Read More

J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol 2019 Oct-Dec;35(4):566-568

Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain Medicine and Critical Care, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.

J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2020 Jan 6;22(1). Epub 2020 Jan 6.

Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.37, Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People's Republic of China.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is rare and potentially life-threatening; its etiology remains unclear. Imaging characteristics on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and their prognostic significance have rarely been studied. We sought to determine CMR's prognostic value in PPCM by using T1 and T2 mapping techniques. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2020 Apr 13;305:87-91. Epub 2019 Dec 13.

Department of Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Heart failure is an uncommon diagnosis among pregnant women with limited data on this condition. We sought to describe the characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women with heart failure stratified by etiologies of cardiomyopathy.

Methods: This is a retrospective population-based cohort study across medical centers in Southern California in the United States. Read More

Am J Emerg Med 2020 Mar 18;38(3):693.e5-693.e6. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, 5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Bradenton, FL 34211, USA; St. Vincent's Medical Center Southside Emergency Department, 4201 Belfort Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32216, USA.

Cureus 2019 Oct 30;11(10):e6034. Epub 2019 Oct 30.

Internal Medicine, Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College and Hospital, Sukkur, PAK.

Introduction In the western world, 0.2%-4% of pregnancies are complicated by heart diseases. The United Kingdom Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) conducted a study on acute myocardial infarction (MI) in pregnant women. Read More

Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med 2019 Dec 9;21(12):83. Epub 2019 Dec 9.

Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114-2696, USA.

Purpose Of Review: While the prognosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is generally more favorable than other cardiomyopathies, PPCM can be associated with cardiogenic shock and significant maternal morbidity in young women. The management of a pregnant woman in cardiogenic shock necessitates consideration of harm to the fetus. This review focuses on the management of these women. Read More

Eur Heart J 2019 12;40(47):3859-3868c

University Medical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.

The overall lifetime risk of heart failure (HF) is similar between men and women, however, there are marked sex differences in the landscape of this condition that are both important and under-recognized. Men are predisposed to HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), whereas women predominate in HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Sex differences are also notable in the penetrance of genetic cardiomyopathies, risk factors, e. Read More

Neth Heart J 2020 Jan;28(1):27-36

Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Objective: Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of indirect maternal mortality in Europe. The aim of this study is to present an extensive overview concerning the specific cardiovascular causes of maternal death and to identify avoidable contributing care factors related to these deaths.

Methods: We assessed all cases of maternal death due to cardiovascular disorders collected by a systematic national confidential enquiry of maternal deaths published by the Dutch Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Committee on behalf of the Netherlands Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology over a 21-year period (1993-2013) in the Netherlands. Read More

Cureus 2019 Oct 8;11(10):e5867. Epub 2019 Oct 8.

Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a diagnosis of exclusion and a heterogeneous disorder that presents during the last month of pregnancy or the first five months postpartum. It is a rare but potentially life-threatening illness. A lot of work has been done trying to discover the causes of this condition, and several risk factors have been identified, including hypertension during pregnancy (HDP), ethnicity, advanced age, and multiple gestations. Read More

Heart Lung 2020 Mar - Apr;49(2):204. Epub 2019 Nov 15.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey.