The Frequency of Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy in a Series of Patients with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Dilated cardiomyopathy was found to be familial in at least one in five of the patients in this study, a considerably higher percentage than in previous reports. This finding has important implications for family screening and provides direction for further investigation into the causes and natural history of dilated cardiomyopathy.