Progress in Defining the Causes of Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

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Abstract
Dilated cardiomyopathy can result from numerous underlying diseases, both intrinsic to the heart (such as coronary atherosclerosis) and extrinsic to the heart (such as catecholamine excess)1. However, there remain many patients with dilated cardiomyopathy of unknown cause. Medical and surgical treatments for this progressive disease are palliative, and the prognosis is generally poor. Indeed, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is the primary indication for heart transplantation, at a cost of approximately $177 million annually2. Therefore, a better understanding of the causes and pathogenesis of the disease is urgently needed.It is likely that idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy has multiple causes. Recently, . . .