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Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2012 Sep 28;
Authors: Lakdawala NK, Winterfield JR, Funke BH
Abstract
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and heart failure (HF) and is the leading indication for cardiac transplantation in children and adults worldwide.(1) It is characterized by ventricular chamber enlargement and systolic dysfunction with normal left ventricular wall thickness. Different etiologies can lead to DCM, including inherited, infectious and inflammatory diseases. However the majority of cases remain unexplained after a thorough review for secondary cause.(2) Discoveries made over the past 20 years have revealed a genetic basis in both inherited and hitherto idiopathic forms, with many different genes implicated.(3-8) These developments have enlightened both clinical diagnosis and investigation, and fostered informed therapeutic decisions...
PMID: 23022708 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]