Symptoms, examination and medication at presentation for patients in modified WHO II–IV
| All patients (n=152) | Presenting prepartum (n=122) | Presenting postpartum (n=30) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoms and severity of disease, n (%) | ||||
| Palpitations | 64 (42) | 54 (44) | 10 (33) | 0.27 |
| Presyncope/syncope | 1 (0) | 1 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.58 |
| Chest pain | 5 (3) | 4 (3) | 1 (3) | 1.00 |
| NYHA FC | ||||
| I/II | 120 (79) | 108 (89) | 12 (40) | <0.001 |
| III | 32 (21) | 14 (11) | 18 (60) | <0.001 |
| Modified WHO group | ||||
| II-III | 98 (64) | 98 (80) | 0 (0) | <0.001 |
| IV | 54 (36) | 24 (20) | 30 (100) | <0.001 |
| Vital signs | ||||
| Heart rate in bpm | 90±19 | 87±17 | 103±19 | <0.0001 |
| SBP in mm Hg | 119±16 | 121±15 | 111±17 | 0.001 |
| DBP in mm Hg | 74±11 | 74±12 | 74±11 | 0.79 |
| Physical examination, n (%) | ||||
| Jugular venous pressure >5 | 42 (28) | 20 (16) | 22 (73) | <0.001 |
| Crepitations | 40 (26) | 21 (18) | 19 (63) | <0.001 |
| Oedema | 29 (19) | 15 (12) | 14 (47) | <0.001 |
| Systolic heart murmur | 86 (57) | 60 (49) | 26 (87) | <0.001 |
| Diastolic heart murmur | 7 (5) | 7 (6) | 0 (0) | 0.17 |
| Laboratory tests | ||||
| Haemoglobin (g/dL) | 11.5±1.9 | 11.5±1.7 | 11.4±2.4 | 0.11 |
| HIV positive | 36 (24) | 26 (21) | 10 (36) | 0.17 |
| NTProBNP* (median, range) | 629.3 (130–6400) | 459.6 (130–4885) | 1589.9 (130–6400) | <0.0001 |
| Log NTProBNP | 6.38±1.04 | 6.15+0.98 | 7.16+0.89 | <0.0001 |
| ECG, n (%) | ||||
| Sinus rhythm | 127 (83) | 103 (84) | 24 (86) | 0.79 |
| Sinus tachycardia | 13 (9) | 8 (7) | 5 (17) | 0.09 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 1 (1) | 1 (3) | 0 (0) | 0.34 |
| Echocardiogram | ||||
| LVEDD (mm) | 50.6±8.5 | 48.6±7.7 | 58.7±6.5 | <0.0001 |
| LVESD (mm) | 36.9±10.1 | 33.4±7.6 | 50.4±6.9 | <0.0001 |
| EF (%) (n=62) | 51.1±13.0 | 54.5±12.4 | 44.7±11.8 | 0.003 |
| Medications at baseline visit, n (%) | ||||
| ACE inhibitor | 5 | 0 | 5 | – |
| Aldosterone antagonist | 1 | 0 | 1 | – |
| Aspirin | 3 | 3 | 0 | – |
| Beta blocker | 10 | 9 | 1 | – |
| Bromocriptine | 5 | 0 | 5 | – |
| Calcium channel blocker | 7 | 6 | 1 | – |
| Digoxin | 1 | 1 | 0 | – |
| Hydralazine | 1 | 1 | 0 | – |
| Nitrate | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Furosemide | 34 | 18 | 16 | – |
| Thiazide | 16 | 15 | 1 | – |
| Warfarin | 9 | 9 | 0 | – |
*NTproBNP measurements were only performed in 110 patients.
DBP, diastolic blood pressure; LVESD, left ventricle in end-systolic diameter; LVEDD, left ventricle in end-diastolic diameter; NYHA FC, New York Heart Association Functional Class; SBP, systolic blood pressure; ACE inhibitor, angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor.