title: Long-term prognosis of patients with mildly dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: The long-term prognosis of patients with mildly dilated cardiomyopathy (MDCM) was investigated in 21 patients. MDCM was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 40% and left ventricular end-diastolic volume < or = 120 ml/m2 by left ventriculography. During a follow-up period of 6.8+/-3.7 years, there were 9 cardiac events (5 heart failure deaths, 2 sudden deaths, and 2 re-hospitalizations for heart failure). Only in the patients without cardiac events was there a significant decrease in left ventricular size (end-diastolic dimension decreased from 58+/-6 mm to 50+/-8 mm, p<0.001) and an improvement in systolic function (fractional shortening increased from 17+/-5% to 26+/-11%, p=0.007). However, left atrial dilation was observed in the patients with an event (from 39+/-5 mm to 43+/-5 mm, p=0.02). Based on proportional hazard analysis, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure at diagnosis and left atrial dimension at the time of follow-up were significant predictors of poor outcome. A subset of patients with MDCM has impaired hemodynamics at diagnosis, left atrial dilation at follow-up and a poor prognosis, and must be followed carefully even if the left ventricular dilatation is mild.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku-shi, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitaoka
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: Naohito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furuno
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doi
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors