Becker muscular dystrophy–related cardiomyopathy: a favorable response to medical therapy.

Patients with Becker muscular dystrophy–related cardiomyopathy typically survive into their 30s, when they succumb to complications of cardiomyopathy or receive heart transplants. The cardiomyopathy is related to an abnormality in the protein dystrophin; no successful medical responses have been reported to date. We describe a patient with Becker muscular dystrophy–related cardiomyopathy in whom we noted improvement of cardiac status with carefully titrated medical therapy. Successful therapy suggests a trial of medical therapy may be beneficial when patients with Becker muscular dystrophy–related cardiomyopathy are evaluated for transplant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]