Papillary Muscle Scarring Predicts Cardiac Death in Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Here’s a summary of the key findings from the provided text:
Study Focus: The study investigated the prognostic value of papillary muscle scarring (papSCAR) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Key Findings:
* Higher Cardiac Death rate: Patients with papSCAR (19% reaching the primary endpoint) had a significantly higher rate of cardiac death compared to those without papSCAR (8.1%). The hazard ratio was 2.3 (95% CI, 1.34-3.95; P* =.002).
* Cumulative cardiac Death: The 5-year rate of cardiac death was 20.5% in patients with papSCAR versus 9% in those without.
* Increased Heart Failure & Arrhythmia Events: Patients with papSCAR also experienced higher rates of both heart failure events (HR, 2.29; *P = .004) and arrhythmia events (HR, 2.48; P* = .03).
* PapSCAR as a Risk Marker: The researchers suggest that papSCAR might potentially be an early marker of risk in DCM patients.
Patient Characteristics:
* Most patients were already being treated with common heart failure medications (ACE inhibitors/ARBs, beta-blockers, loop diuretics).
* Many patients had moderate to severe heart failure (NYHA class 3 or 4).
* Average LVEF was 31.2%.
* Midwall scar was present in a significant number of patients (109), with a median extent of 2.7% of LV mass.
Study Duration: Patients were followed for up to 8 years.
Reference: Kaolawanich Y, et al. *JAMA Cardiol. Published online October 15, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2025.3822 (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2839563)