Table 1.

Clinical parameters, electrocardiographic findings, and laboratory test results

Parameters	Post-partum controls, 1–7 days after delivery (n = 36)	PPCM, 1–7 days after delivery (n = 15)	Post-partum controls 0.5–10 months after delivery (n = 11)	PPCM 0.5–10 months after delivery (n = 40)
Age  (years) Mean  ± SD	30  ± 5	34  ± 8	34  ± 3	34  ± 3
Gravida Median  (range)	1  (1–4)	1  (1–7)	1  (1–2)	2  (1–5)
Parity Median  (range)	1  (1–4)	1  (1–4)	1  (1–2)	2  (1–4)
Gestational age at partum  (weeks) Mean  ± SD	38  ± 3	37  ± 4	39  ± 2	38  ± 2
%EF Mean  ± SD	63  ± 4	30  ± 9**	64  ± 6	27  ± 9##
Heart rate  (bpm) Mean  ± SD	–	99  ± 14	–	88  ± 20
Systolic BP  (mmHg) Mean  ± SD	–	128  ± 19	–	111  ± 16
Diastolic BP  (mmHg) Mean  ± SD	–	86  ± 13	–	68  ± 12
Relaxin-2  (pg/ml) Median  (range)	55  (1–1075)	2  (1–276)**	0.6  (0–7)	0.5  (0–609)

PPCM, peripartum cardiomyopathy; BP, blood pressure; SD, standard deviation.

^**P < 0.01 early PPCM vs. early controls,

^##P < 0.01 late PPCM vs. late controls, two-way ANOVA, Bonferroni’s Multiple Comparison Test.