A new study published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment examined weather left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDd) could predict mortality from heart failure in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) receiving standard cardio-protective therapies.

This retrospective study enrolled 133 patients with DMD, aged ≥ 10 years, who underwent echocardiography from 2011-2015; all patients were followed-up until August 2018. Patients were divided into two groups according to LVDd at initial echocardiography: ≤ 54 mm – Group 1, n=119 and ≥ 55 mm – Group 2, n=14. Group 2 patients who did not develop left atrial (LA) enlargement, moderate mitral regurgitation (MR) or pulmonary hypertension (PH) during the observation period (Group 2A: n=5) were compared to those who newly developed one or more of those complications (Group 2B: n=7). Clinical outcomes were all-cause mortality and mortality from heart failure.

Overall, 10.5% patients died, including 5% in Group 1 and 57.1% in Group 2. Among these, 0.8% patients in Group 1 and 57.1% in Group 2 died from heart failure. Meanwhile, Group 2B patients had shorter survival compared to Group 2A patients.

From the results, it was concluded that LVDd ≥ 55 mm is a predictive factor for mortality from heart failure in patients with DMD. Complications including LA enlargement, moderate MR, and PH were found to be predictive factors for mortality from heart failure in a short period.

Source: Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2020 Jan 16;16:171-178. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S235166.