Chapter 12: Prognostic Stratification and Importance of Follow-Up

In the last decades, long-term survival of patients affected by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has been markedly improved. The main milestones, such as the early diagnosis and the systematic follow-up, the proper etiological characterization at the onset of the disease, and a multidisciplinary approach to the patients together with the optimal medical and device treatment and the rigorous tailored follow-up, accompanied these prognostic improvements. However, DCM still remains the most common cause of heart transplantation and one of the leading causes of cardiac death in the western world. Therefore, proper prognostic stratification and systematic follow-up are the cornerstones to optimize medical management and improve outcomes of patients with DCM.