Signs & Symptoms

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Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), is an often unrecognized form of heart failure that occurs during pregnancy or up to 12 months postpartum. The condition weakens the heart muscle and causes the heart to become enlarged. As a result, the heart can't pump blood properly to the rest of the body.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Awareness Week In Texas Is May 10- May 17,  thanks to our founder, Brianna Harris-Henderson for getting the T.X. governor to sign our proclamation request in 2022.

Symptoms of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy include:

Rapid heartbeat or Palpitations

Nagging Cough 

Heavy Chest Pains

Excessive Fatigue

Tiredness during physical activity

Shortness of breath

Swelling of feet and ankles

Increased Urination at night.

Does this sound familiar?

PPCM warning signs can mimic pregnancy signs!

There's no known factor to diagnose it, which is why, many PPCM patients' symptoms worsen after birth, causing them to need Medical Devices, Heart Transplants, or even lose their life!

If all obstetricians ran an NT-proBNP blood test during 36+ weeks gestation, more PPCM patients will have a 90% chance of recovering.

More awareness is needed for PPCM so that women who will be diagnosed can be given timely and appropriate treatment.

Know the signs, and ask questions.

Risk Factors:

• Older maternal age (>30 years old)
• Pre-eclampsia
• Eclampsia
• African American descent
• Family history of heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Multiple births
• Heart murmur
• Hyperemesis gravidarum
• Fertility treatments
• Covid-19

Possible Causes:

• Angiogenic imbalance

• Altered prolactin processing

• Genetic, inflammatory, hormonal, hemodynamic, and autoimmune factors

Management of this challenging disease is similar to other forms of systolic heart failure, and unfortunately, only 30% to 50% of patients recover completely. We are recommending all expecting mothers and postpartum mothers request a BNP blood test, known as NT-proBNP. 

BNP vs. NT-proBNP:

Differences between BNP and NT-proBNP on a biological level relate to the fact that one is biologically active as a hormone, BNP, whereas NT-proBNP is cleared passively from the body and is not biologically active. Therefore, BNP has a much shorter half-life, and NT-proBNP has a longer half-life.

Link to healthcare providers familiar with PPCM:  https://peripartumcmnetwork.pitt.edu/locations/