Different clinical features, biochemical profiles, echocardiographic and elctrocardiographic findings in older and younger patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical features, biochemical profiles, echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings in the elderly and younger with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM).


METHODS
We measured biochemical profiles and reviewed the clinical features, echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings in 40 elderly (group A) and 70 younger (group B) patients with IDCM.


RESULTS
The aldosterone level in group A was higher than in group B (304.8 +/- 69.1 vs. 213.3 +/- 54.5 pmol/l, P < 0.05). Triiodothyronine (T3) and free T3 in group A were lower than in group B (0.78 +/- 0.21 and 2.87 +/- 0.73 vs. 1.26 +/- 0.33 nmol/l and 3.55 +/- 0.64 pmol/l, all P < 0.05). The incidence of ventricular arrhythmia in group A was lower than in group B (61.3% vs. 92.1 %, P < 0.01). The incidence of hypokalaemia and hypomagnesaemia were higher in group A (51.3% and 27.5%). 28.8% patients in group A were susceptible to digitalis intoxication. Disease duration and mean survival period in group A were longer than in group B (11.0 +/- 4.7 and 6.9 +/- 4.2 vs. 5.2 +/- 2.5 y and 3.4 +/- 2.7 y, all P < 0.05). The main cause of death in group A was congestive heart failure (78.9%) and ventricular arrhythmia (61.9%) in group B.


CONCLUSIONS
The prognosis in group A was better than in group B. The patients in group A usually showed low T3 syndrome. Ventricular arrhythmia in group A may be due to heart failure, electrolyte imbalance and sympathetic activation.
Guo
Hangyuan
H
Department of Cardiology, Huayu Hospital, China Medical University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312030, China ghangyuan@hotmail.com
Lee
Jong-Dae
JD
Ueda
Takanori
T
Wang
Jian'an
J
Lu
Duan
D
He
Hong
H
Shan
Jiang
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate