Can childbirth cause cardiomyopathy?

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), also known as postpartum cardiomyopathy, is an uncommon form of heart failure that happens during the last month of pregnancy or up to five months after giving birth.

What is the cause of postpartum cardiomyopathy?

What Causes Postpartum Cardiomyopathy? No one is sure what causes postpartum cardiomyopathy. Studies of the heart muscle of women who had PPCM have shown inflammation (swelling or redness). This could be because of a previous viral illness or because of an abnormal immune system response.

What is pregnancy induced cardiomyopathy?

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare disorder in which a pregnant woman’s heart becomes weakened and enlarged. It develops during the last month of pregnancy, or within 5 months after the baby is born.

Can childbirth cause heart problems?

Tests there confirmed peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare form of heart failure that develops toward the end of pregnancy or several months after giving birth. As the heart muscle weakens, fluid begins to back up in the lungs and legs, making it difficult to breathe and causing swelling.

Which type of cardiomyopathy is associated with childbirth?

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a weakness of the heart muscle that by definition begins sometime during the final month of pregnancy through about five months after delivery, without any other known cause. Most commonly, it occurs right after delivery. It is a rare condition that can carry mild or severe symptoms.

Is peripartum cardiomyopathy fatal?

PPCM is a little-known yet sometimes fatal form of cardiac disease, in which the heart muscle thins and weakens late in pregnancy and following childbirth. Some estimates say about 10 percent of women with PPCM die from the disease and over half have a weakened heart muscle for the rest of their lives.

Who is at risk for dilated cardiomyopathy?

DCM is somewhat uncommon, but not rare. It affects men more often than women and tends to occur in adults ages 20 to 60 years old.

What is the life expectancy of someone with dilated cardiomyopathy?

Clinically, DCM is characterized by a progressive course of ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction. The life expectancy is limited and varies according to the underlying etiology with a median survival time of about 5 years after diagnosis.

Is postpartum cardiomyopathy reversible?

The prognosis is best when peripartum cardiomyopathy is diagnosed and treated early. Fortunately, despite a high risk of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies, many patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy recover within 3 to 6 months of disease onset.

Is peripartum cardiomyopathy curable?

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare, life-threatening disease of late pregnancy and early puerperium among previously healthy women. Management of this challenging disease is similar to other forms of systolic heart failure. Unfortunately, only 30% to 50% of patients recover completely.

What are the 3 types of cardiomyopathy?

The main types of cardiomyopathy are: Dilated cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Restrictive cardiomyopathy.

What is a cardiomyopathy?

Cardiomyopathy is a medical term for a number of genetic and nongenetic diseases involving the heart muscle that adversely affect the heart’s mechanical pumping function and its electrical system. It can occur in people of all ages, races or genders, and it is a frequent cause of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death.

What is left dilated cardiomyopathy?

Dilated cardiomyopathy. In this type of cardiomyopathy, the pumping ability of your heart’s main pumping chamber — the left ventricle — becomes enlarged (dilated) and can’t effectively pump blood out of the heart.

What are the treatment options for cardiomyopathy?

Treatment — which might include medications, surgically implanted devices or, in severe cases, a heart transplant — depends on which type of cardiomyopathy you have and how serious it is. There might be no signs or symptoms in the early stages of cardiomyopathy. But as the condition advances, signs and symptoms usually appear, including:

What causes acquired cardiomyopathy?

Often the cause of the cardiomyopathy is unknown. In some people, however, it’s the result of another condition (acquired) or passed on from a parent (inherited). Contributing factors for acquired cardiomyopathy include: Long-term high blood pressure. Heart tissue damage from a heart attack.