Clinical and functional status of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and heart rhythm disturbances

Objective. To analyze clinical and functional status of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart rhythm disturbances. Material and methods. The study included 98 patients with DCM. Mean age was 46 (37—54) years. Group 1 (58 people) consisted of patients with DCM and heart rhythm disturbances, group 2 (40 people) — patients without cardiac rhythm disturbances. Between-group analysis of clinical and functional data of patients with DCM was conducted. Results. In overall cohort of patients with DCM, heart rhythm disturbances were registered in 59% of cases. The 1st group was characterized by older age (p=0.03), higher incidence of concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p=0.03), reduced maximum volume velocity in bronchi (body plethysmography data, p=0.01). In the 1st group, there were larger longitudinal dimension of the left atrium (p=0.04) and indexed end-diastolic volume of the left ventricle (p=0.01), lower cardiac index (p=0.02) and higher pulmonary vascular resistance (p=0.001). Conclusion. Among patients with DCM, heart rhythm disturbances were detected in 59% of cases. Patients with DCM and heart rhythm disturbances are characterized by older age, higher incidence of comorbid bronchopulmonary pathology with more severe disorders of external respiration function compared to patients with DCM and no rhythm disturbances. In patients with DCM and heart rhythm disturbances, we observed more severe cardiac remodeling with larger sizes of the left chambers, higher pulmonary vascular resistance and lower cardiac index.