Left ventricular recovery in an African cohort of patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare and potentially life -threatening disease associated with pregnancy. There are limited data regarding the outcome of PPCM and its predictive factors in subSaharan African patients. We prospectively conducted a double -center (cardiology unit of the department of medicine, Regional Hospital Center of Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso and the department of cardiology of the National Referral Teaching Hospital of N ' Djamena, Chad) cohort study in patients with PPCM. Patients were consecutively enrolled from January 2015 to December 2017. Outcomes of interest were left ventricular recovery and poor outcome at one year. Ninety-four patients enrolled with a median age of 28 years. At one-year follow-up, 40.5% of them recovered their left ventricular function. Cox multiple regression analysis revealed that higher left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), lower natremia and use of betablockers were baseline variables predicting this end -point. Of the entire study population, 26.60% exhibited the composite end -point of death (n=15) or remaining in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III -IV or LVEF < 35%. Predictors of poor outcome were lower LVEF at baseline, hyponatremia and use of digoxin. The current cohort study demonstrated that PPCM in subSaharan Africa is associated with limited myocardial recovery and significant rate of poor outcome at one year. Therefore, additional studies are needed to better address the disease.