Project Details
Description
An epidemiologic study of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is
proposed with the overall objectives of identifying risk factors for this
poorly understood cause of heart failure in young adults, using newly
diagnosed cases (n=150) ascertained from Washington, D.C. area hospitals
and neighborhood controls (n=300), and examining prognostic factors among
the cases alone over a follow-up period of two to three years. The
specific aims are: 1) To determine whether the reported association
between idiopathic DCM and history of asthma can be confirmed, and to
investigate the possible role of medications used in the treatment of
asthma in the etiology of idiopathic DCM, 2) To examine possible
associations between idiopathic DCM and history of cigarette smoking,
moderate alcohol consumption, and diabetes mellitus, 3) To clarify the
importance of hypertension in the development of idiopathic DCM, and 4) To
examine the prognostic importance of selected environmental exposures and
clinical and hemodynamic parameters with respect to survival and major
cardiovascular complications. A matched case-control design will be
utilized to accomplish the first three specific aims. The medical records
of possible cases of idiopathic DCM who are discharged from five acute
hospitals over a two year accrual period will be abstracted so that
standard diagnostic criteria may be applied. Two neighborhood controls
will be identified for each verified case using a random digit dialing
technique. The cases and controls will be matched on five year age
intervals, sex, and telephone exchange. The subjects or a close relative
will be interviewed by telephone using a structured questionnaire. To
accomplish the fourth specific aim, the cases will be contacted on an
annual basis during the two to three year follow-up period to determine
their vital status and experience with respect to major cardiovascular
complications. Additional data will be collected from health care
providers using mailed questionnaires in order to validate information
obtained from the subjects by interview. Statistical analysis will consist
of case-control comparisons using conditional logistic regression
techniques, and survival analyses using Kaplan-Meier curves and the
proportional hazards model. Thus, the study will provide important new
data about the determinants of idiopathic DCM, and about prognostic
factors, which may assist in the prevention and treatment of this
increasingly important disease.
Status | Not started |
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Funding
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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