CONTEMPORARY VIEWS ON PERIPARTUM CARDIOMYOPATHY — DEFINITION, EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS (PART I)

Abstract

The first part of the review of peripartum cardiomyopathy concerns on the disease itself, its prevalence by the data from various epidemiologic studies in different countries. More detailed the risk factors are discussed, especially age-related obstetrics anamnesis, double pregnancy or more, tocolytic therapy, smoking, arterial hypertension etc. Complicated questions of the etiopathogensis are discussed, including myocarditis, the role of prolactine-catepsine-prolactie 16kDa system, nutrition disorders, selenium deficiency, genetic predisposition at the background of pathologic response on hemodynamic stress during pregnancy.

Keywords

• peripartum cardiomyopathy
• definition
• epidemiology
• risk factors
• pathogenesis
• prolactine