Long-Term Outcomes of Women With Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Having Subsequent Pregnancies.

Background: Long-term maternal outcomes of subsequent pregnancies (SSPs) in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) have not been analyzed.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term survival of SSPs in women with PPCM.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 137 PPCMs in the registry. The clinical and echocardiographic findings were compared between the recovery group (RG) and nonrecovery group (NRG), defined as left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% and <50% after an index of pregnancy, respectively.

Results: Forty-five patients with SSPs were included with a mean age of 27.0 ± 6.1 years, 80% were of African American descent, and 75.6% from a low socioeconomic background. Thirty (66.7%) women were in the RG. Overall, SSPs were associated with a decrease in mean left ventricular ejection fraction from 45.1% ± 13.7% to 41.2% ± 14.5% (P = 0.009). At 5 years, adverse outcomes were significantly higher in the NRG compared with the RG (53.3% vs 20%; P = 0.04), driven by relapse PPCM (53.3% vs 20.0%; P = 0.03). Five-year all-cause mortality was 13.33% in the NRG compared with 3.33% in the RG (P = 0.25). At a median follow-up of 8 years, adverse outcomes and all-cause mortality rates were similar in the NRG and RG (53.3% vs 33.3% [P = 0.20] and 20% vs 20%, respectively).

Conclusions: Subsequent pregnancies in women with PPCM are associated with adverse events. The normalization of left ventricular function does not guarantee a favorable outcome in the SSPs.