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J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2022 Apr-Jun;34(2):369-374

King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The COVID-19 infection has spread rampantly, attaining pandemic status within three months of its first appearance. It has been classically associated with respiratory signs and symptoms. However, unusual presentations have also been reported in multiple literatures. Read More

Clin Res Cardiol 2022 May 13. Epub 2022 May 13.

Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Background: Over the past decades the use of assisted reproduction technology (ART) increased worldwide. ARTs are associated with an elevated risk for cardiovascular complications. However, a potential relation between subfertility/ARTs and the heart disease peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) has not been systematically analyzed yet. Read More

Perfusion 2022 May 13:2676591221090668. Epub 2022 May 13.

Department of Internal Medicine II, Cardiology and Pneumology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.

Introduction: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) may be used in the setting of pregnancy or the peripartal period, however its utility has not been well-characterized. This study aims to give an overview on the prevalence of peripartel ECMO cases and further assess the indications and outcomes of ECMO in this setting across multiple centers and countries.

Methods: A retrospective, multicenter, international cohort study of pregnant and peripartum ECMO cases was performed. Read More

Am J Perinatol 2022 May 6. Epub 2022 May 6.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Introduction:  Whether biomarkers may enable early identification of women who develop peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) prior to disease onset remains a question of interest.

Methods:  A retrospective nested case-control study was conducted to determine whether first trimester -terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) or high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) differed among women who developed PPCM versus unaffected pregnancies. Cases were matched to unaffected women by age, race, parity, and gestational age of sample (control A) and then further by blood pressure and pregnancy weight gain (control B). Read More

J Multidiscip Healthc 2022 23;15:857-867. Epub 2022 Apr 23.

Chair and Department of Pathomorphology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, Poland.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a condition with an incompletely understood etiology, although many risk factors for this disorder have been mentioned. Preeclampsia (PE) is a rare but undoubtedly very important cause of PPCM. Early recognition and prompt treatment of preeclampsia and peripartum cardiomyopathy are essential to optimize pregnancy outcomes. Read More

CJC Open 2022 Apr 16;4(4):373-377. Epub 2021 Dec 16.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare idiopathic cardiomyopathy associated with pregnancy that occurs more frequently among Black women. However, less is known about the association of race/ethnicity with outcomes at the time of delivery in women with PPCM.

Methods: We used data from the 2016-2018 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to identify women with a diagnosis of PPCM based on International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes. Read More

CJC Open 2022 Apr 23;4(4):439-440. Epub 2022 Jan 23.

Department of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Al Khoudh, Muscat, Oman.

Indian Heart J 2022 Apr 28. Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia. Electronic address:

The outcome of this review is to assess the association between pre-pregnancy obesity and PPCM incidence. There were a total of 5.373. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2022 Apr 18;11(8):e024960. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Institute of Clinical Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Oslo Norway.

Background We aimed to assess the association between number of pregnancies and long-term progression of cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, and event-free survival in women with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants of gene encoding for Lamin A/C proteins ( LMNA+). Methods and Results We retrospectively included consecutive women with LMNA+ and recorded pregnancy data. We collected echocardiographic data, occurrence of atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular block, sustained ventricular arrhythmias, and implantation of cardiac electronic devices (implantable cardioverter defibrillator/cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator). Read More

Cad Saude Publica 2022 8;38(3):e00195821. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brasil.

The study aimed to analyze the trend in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) according to the ICD classification for maternal mortality (ICD-MM) classification in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2006 to 2018. This was a time trend study of MMR in Rio de Janeiro according to type of death (direct or indirect) and groups of causes in the World Health Organization (WHO) ICD-MM. MMR was calculated with data from Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) and Brazilian Information System on Live Births (SINASC). Read More

Dtsch Arztebl Int 2022 01;119(4):57

J Card Fail 2022 Apr 8. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Department of Medicine, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Sacubitril/valsartan is an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction below normal, with no specified ejection fraction cut-off. However, clinically significant patient groups were excluded or minimally represented in sacubitril/valsartan's pivotal clinical trials. Clinicians often encounter scenarios when a sacubitril/valsartan off-label use may be beneficial, but limited resources are available to evaluate the efficacy and safety in these patients. Read More

Cureus 2022 Mar 3;14(3):e22813. Epub 2022 Mar 3.

Department of Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University), Wardha, IND.

Pregnancy is considered one of the most delicate conditions for the woman and her fetus, rendering physiological stress on her body. Sometimes, this leads to unwelcomed incidences of certain systemic disorders which further complicate the course of pregnancy. Cardiovascular conditions associated with pregnancy have major morbidity amongst the general population. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2022 06 28;357:48-54. Epub 2022 Mar 28.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Objective: To determine predictors of adverse outcomes in peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM).

Methods And Results: We conducted a multi-center cohort study across four centers to identify subjects with PPCM with the following criteria: LVEF <40%, development of heart failure within the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months of delivery and no other identifiable cause of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Outcomes included 1) survival free from major adverse events (need for extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation, ventricular assist device, orthotopic heart transplantation or death) and 2) LVEF recovery ≥ 50%. Read More

Curr Hypertens Rep 2022 Mar 28. Epub 2022 Mar 28.

Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, 2301 Erwin Rd, P.O. Box 3845, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.

Purpose Of Review: To review the data on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and heart failure (HF) risk.

Recent Findings: Hypertensive disorders are the most common medical condition affecting women during pregnancy and are associated with future HF risk, including peripartum cardiomyopathy, pregnancy-associated HF with preserved ejection fraction, and new-onset HF later in life. HF related to HDP can occur during pregnancy and persist long term, as can be the case with peri-partum cardiomyopathy, or can develop years after delivery through mechanisms that have yet to be clearly defined. Read More

Biophys Rev 2022 Feb 9;14(1):381-401. Epub 2022 Feb 9.

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst, Australia.

As developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning become more widespread in healthcare, their potential to transform clinical outcomes also increases. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare and poorly-characterised condition that presents as heart failure in the last trimester prior to delivery or within 5-6 months postpartum. The lack of a definitive understanding of the molecular causes and clinical progress of this condition suggests that bibliometrics will be well-suited to creating new insights into this serious clinical problem. Read More

Biophys Rev 2022 Feb 24;14(1):369-379. Epub 2022 Jan 24.

Sydney Heart Bank, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

In this review, we present our current understanding of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) based on reports of the incidence, diagnosis and current treatment options. We summarise opinions on whether PPCM is triggered by vascular and/or hormonal causes and examine the influence of comorbidities such as preeclampsia. Two articles published in 2021 strongly support the hypothesis that PPCM may be a familial disease. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2022 Mar 20;58(3). Epub 2022 Mar 20.

Department of Anesthesiology, Far-Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 220216, Taiwan.

A thyroid storm is an extreme manifestation of thyrotoxicosis, and is life threatening without an early diagnosis. Pregnancy or childbirth may worsen maternal hyperthyroidism or induce the development of a thyroid storm. Gestational hypertension, a disorder defined as new-onset hypertension, develops after 20 weeks of gestation and shares symptoms with a thyroid storm. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 7;9:831918. Epub 2022 Mar 7.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Heart failure (HF) has various characteristics, such as etiology, clinical course, and clinical characteristics. Several studies reported the clinical findings of the characteristics of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. There have been issues with genetic, biochemical, or pathophysiological problems. Read More

J Clin Invest 2022 May;132(10)

Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Pregnancy is associated with substantial physiological changes of the heart, and disruptions in these processes can lead to peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). The molecular processes that cause physiological and pathological changes in the heart during pregnancy are not well characterized. Here, we show that mTORc1 was activated in pregnancy to facilitate cardiac enlargement that was reversed after delivery in mice. Read More

Eur J Heart Fail 2022 Apr 10;24(4):733. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

Sensors (Basel) 2022 Mar 5;22(5). Epub 2022 Mar 5.

Hannover Heart Rhythm Center, Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.

In patients with newly diagnosed heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), three months of optimal therapy are recommended before considering a primary preventive implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). It is unclear which patients benefit from a prolonged waiting period under protection of the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) to avoid unnecessary ICD implantations. This study included all patients receiving a WCD for newly diagnosed HFrEF ( = 353) at our center between 2012 and 2017. Read More

Hypertens Pregnancy 2022 May 6;41(2):89-96. Epub 2022 Mar 6.

Cardiology Department, Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center, İstanbul, Turkey.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess long-term left ventricular (LV) systolic function using 3D speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with complete LV recovery following peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM).

Methods: A total of 20 PPCM patients who exhibited LV recovery (ejection fraction ≥50%) in the follow-up period and 20 age-matched, healthy women were included in the study. Standard 2D echocardiographic examinations were performed. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 17;9:811079. Epub 2022 Feb 17.

The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a potentially life-threatening complication of pregnancy. The identification of early prognostic markers in patients diagnosed with PPCM is very important. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a new inflammatory biomarker, and the aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of SII in patients with PPCM. Read More

Diagnostics (Basel) 2022 Feb 1;12(2). Epub 2022 Feb 1.

Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany.

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance in acute peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). A total of 17 patients with PPCM in the acute stage and 15 healthy controls were retrospectively analyzed regarding myocardial function, edema, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), and T1 and T2 mappings (T1, T2). Echocardiographic follow-ups were performed. Read More

Future Cardiol 2022 04 24;18(4):337-343. Epub 2022 Feb 24.

Department of Internal Medicine, Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is systolic heart failure in a woman who is pregnant or in the early postpartum period. There are multiple theories regarding the pathophysiology of this disease, and it is suspected the true cause is a combination of these theories. Presenting symptoms are similar to that of systolic heart failure from other causes and must be carefully differentiated from normal changes that occur during pregnancy. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2021 4;12:815151. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

Department of Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and spectrum of cardiotoxicity induced by various antipsychotics based on the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. Data of the FAERS database from the first quarter of 2015 to the fourth quarter of 2020 were downloaded for disproportionality analysis. The significant signal was evaluated by reporting odds ratios and information components with statistical shrinkage transformation. Read More

Circ Res 2022 02 17;130(4):436-454. Epub 2022 Feb 17.

Department of Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio (T.M., E.H.).

Heart failure affects over 2.6 million women and 3.4 million men in the United States with known sex differences in epidemiology, management, response to treatment, and outcomes across a wide spectrum of cardiomyopathies that include peripartum cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, stress cardiomyopathy, cardiac amyloidosis, and sarcoidosis. Read More

J Family Med Prim Care 2021 Nov 29;10(11):4290-4292. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Department of Anaesthesiology, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India.

Anaesthetic management of cardiac disorders in pregnancy has always been complicated and challenging. A rare but extremely fatal entity, peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a life-threatening disease affecting the parturient with mortality rates as high as 35-50%. Developing in late pregnancy or immediately after delivery, this unique disorder endangers not only the mother but the baby as well. Read More