Hypertrabeculation does not worsen outcomes in dilated cardiomyopathy, study finds

A major international study led by Spain's CNIC found that left ventricular hypertrabeculation does not worsen outcomes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, challenging long-held beliefs about the heart condition's risk. Analyzing 1,160 patients across 22 centers in Spain and the Netherlands, researchers found no increased risk of embolism, advanced heart failure, or severe arrhythmias linked to the trait. The findings, published in Circulation, suggest hypertrabeculation should be viewed as a morphological feature, not a distinct disease requiring specific treatment. The study, the largest of its kind using cardiac MRI and genetic analysis, calls into question the need for preventive anticoagulation based solely on hypertrabeculation. Prognosis was instead determined by known factors like ejection fraction, myocardial fibrosis, and genetic alterations.