Coronary microcirculation remodelling in dilated cardiomyopathy: another brick in the wall.

摘要

Despite the advances in pharmacologic therapeutics and device interventions, the clinical outlook and prognosis for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), although greatly improved, remain poor and fall far short of the life expectancy of the general population even when matched for age, gender, and comorbidites. As DCM proceeds through its natural course, near term, it enters the functional class IV stage and unless the patient is fortunate enough to be a transplant recipient, undergoes placement of a ventricular assist device, or experiences sudden death, the terminal phase of DCM is characterized by marked impairment, suffering, repeated hospitalizations, and finally hospice care.