Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Peripartum cardiomyopathy is one of the lately
recognised causes of maternal mortality worldwide, but the exact cause of
PPCM is still unknown. PPCM is often associated with many risk factors,
especially hypertension in pregnancy, but its difficult to predict who
among them will go for PPCM. So we wanted to study whether some of
the markers which are raised in PPCM and hypertensive disorders of
pregnancy can be used as predictors of PPCM.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether total leucocyte count, troponin i,
serum prolactin levels in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy can be
used as predictors of peripartum cardiomyopathy
MATERIALS AND METHOD:A hospital based prospective cohort
study was conducted among 265 study hypertensive patients . A blood
sample was collected from pre eclampsia and eclampsia patients to see
the level of biomarkers. These patients were further followed up up to 5
months postpartum to see whether they develop PPCM.
RESULTS:A total of 265 hypertensive patients were studied. All patients
were followed upto 5 months after delivery for clinical features of PPCM.
A level of >0.64 +/- 0.2 of Troponin I was significantly associated with
developing PPCM (p value = 0.04). Serum Prolactin level of >171.30+/-
72.07 (p value=0.007) was associated with PPCM similarly Total
Leucocyte count >17166+/-9105.3 (p value = 0.05) was also significantly
associated with developing PPCM in Hypertensive disorders of
pregnancy
CONCLUSION: From the present study we conclude that PPCM is
common in young hypertensive pregnant patients and markers like Total
leucocyte count, serum prolactin and Troponin I can be used for early
diagnosis of the disease so as to prevent further complications
