In an attempt to identify which parameters predict survival in advanced dilated cardiomyopathy, 232 patients presenting for assessment for cardiac transplantation were investigated and followed for 10 +/- 12 months (range 2 weeks to 5 years). Etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy included ischemic heart disease (33%), idiopathic (42%) and miscellaneous (25%). In each patient, 26 parameters were recorded. Whole group survival was 68% at 1 year, 56% at 2 years, 41% at 3 years and 25% at 4 years. On Cox multivariate regression analysis, 3 parameters predicted survival: New York Heart Association symptom class (p less than 0.0001), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (p less than 0.008) and plasma atrial natriuretic factor level (p less than 0.002). On paired testing of actuarial survival curves, plasma noradrenaline also held predictive value (p less than 0.002), as did left ventricular ejection fraction less than or equal to 20% on radionuclide ventriculography (p = 0.007) and presence of greater than or equal to 4 beats of ventricular tachycardia on Holter monitoring (p = 0.007). Treatment with amiodarone did not appear to influence survival. Conventional determinants of prognosis in cardiomyopathy (symptom class, wedge pressure, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia and ejection fraction) do not alone always adequately differentiate survival in this group of high risk patients. More attention to plasma noradrenaline and to atrial natriuretic factor levels may give important additional information in the context of assessment of patients for transplantation.