Peripartum cardiomyopathy: recent insights in its pathophysiology
D Hilfiker-Kleiner, K Sliwa, H Drexler - Trends in cardiovascular medicine, 2008 - Elsevier
Peripartum/Postpartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a serious, potentially life-threatening
heart disease of uncertain etiology in previously healthy women. Previous clinical and
experimental data have identified inflammation, autoimmune processes, apoptosis, and
impaired cardiac (systemic) microvasculature as typical features in the pathophysiology of
PPCM. However, recent data have shown that unbalanced peri/postpartum oxidative stress
is linked to proteolytic cleavage of the nursing hormone prolactin into a potent …
heart disease of uncertain etiology in previously healthy women. Previous clinical and
experimental data have identified inflammation, autoimmune processes, apoptosis, and
impaired cardiac (systemic) microvasculature as typical features in the pathophysiology of
PPCM. However, recent data have shown that unbalanced peri/postpartum oxidative stress
is linked to proteolytic cleavage of the nursing hormone prolactin into a potent …