Vol 17, No 3 (2010)
Review Article
Published online: 2010-05-28
Risk stratification in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: Current perspectives
Cardiol J 2010;17(3):219-229.
Abstract
The clinical goals of risk stratification of sudden death are to identify subjects who are at high
risk of, and eventually to reduce the incidence of, sudden death. Numerous studies have
described risk stratification techniques for serious cardiac events in patients following myocardial
infarction. However, relatively little information is available regarding nonischemic dilated
cardiomyopathy. A number of diagnostic methods have been used for risk stratification of
patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, including presence of syncope, ambulatory
electrocardiographic monitoring, programmed ventricular stimulation, QRS duration, QT
interval dispersion, QT interval dynamicity, signal-averaged ECG, heart rate variability,
heart rate turbulence, baroreflex sensitivity, heart rate recovery, exercise recovery ventricular
ectopy, fragmented QRS and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. In this review, existing
data regarding risk stratification of sudden cardiac death in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy
will be summarized and its implications in clinical practice will be reviewed.
(Cardiol J 2010; 17, 3: 219-229)
(Cardiol J 2010; 17, 3: 219-229)
Keywords: risk stratificationsudden cardiac deathnonischemic cardiomyopathy