Heart Failure in Pregnancy: Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

With Emmanouil Kampanieris, University General Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion - Greece, and Peter Van Der Meer, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen - The Netherlands. In this episode, Peter Van Der Meer and Emmanouil Kampanieris discuss peripartum cardiomyopathy, a potentially life-threatening condition that presents as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in women in the last month of pregnancy or in the months after delivery, after other causes of heart failure have been excluded. Peripartum Cardiomyopathy is defined as cardiomyopathy occurring towards the end of pregnancy or in the months following delivery with a left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) 1. Its incidence differs widely depending on the geographic area being higher in developing countries, as 1:100 pregnancies in Nigeria, while in developed countries being lower, as 1:1500 pregnancies in Germany1. Several risk factors have been associated with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy, as pre-eclampsia and many more2. More than half of the affected individuals receiving the appropriate treatment for heart failure have a full recovery in 6 months3. The role of bromocriptine as a potential specific treatment for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy remains uncertain and randomized clinical trials are needed for determining its benefits and safety 2,4. Women willing to have a subsequent pregnancy should be counseled and monitored by a multidisciplinary team experienced with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy3. References: 1.  Pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of peripartum cardiomyopathy: a position statement from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Study Group on peripartum cardiomyopathy. 2. Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: JACC State-of-the-Art Review 3. Long-term prognosis, subsequent pregnancy, contraception and overall management of peripartum cardiomyopathy: practical guidance paper from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Study Group on Peripartum Cardiomyopathy 4. Bromocriptine treatment and outcomes in peripartum cardiomyopathy: the EORP PPCM registry   This 2024 HFA CardioTalk podcast serie is supported by Novartis in the form of an educational grant. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.

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The HFA Cardio Talk provides the opportunity to anyone interested in Heart Failure to receive updates in the field with very specific and diverse topics, go on a deeper subject of an HFA course and to listen to a discussion of key opinion leaders with junior HF specialists. Each month, a new episode lasting approximately 15 minutes and taking the form of a conversation between a member of the HFA Young community and an internationally renowned expert is released. You can also be interested in other ESC podcasts: ESC Cardio Talk, EHRA Cardio Talk and ESC TV Today. Check them out!