A new risk score for the assessment of outcomes for Chinese patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy

•A risk score that consists of pericardial effusion, left ventricular dilatation, and d-dimer level ≥ 0.5 μg/mL could help streamline the diagnosis of PPCM prior to confirmatory investigations.•A risk score that consists of pulmonary arterial hypertension, lower hemoglobin and worse LVEF could help to predict poor outcomes in PPCM patients.•PPCM patients with pulmonary hypertension, lower hemoglobin, or worse LVEF tended to require longer hospital stay. Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a potentially life-threatening complication of pregnancy, but identifying patients at higher risk of this condition remains difficult. We conducted a study to identify new risk factors associated with PPCM and predictors of poor outcomes. This retrospective analysis included a total of 44 women with PPCM. As a control group, 79 women who gave birth around the same time as the PPCM patients and who did not have organic disease were included. A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors associated with PPCM and with delayed recovery. All PPCM patients were discharged within 28 days. In comparison to the control group, PPCM patients had higher rates of preeclampsia (20.4% vs. 1.27%, P