Does dilated cardiomyopathy affect children differently than adults?

Dilated cardiomyopathy affects children differently than adults. The main difference is the higher probability of a good outcome in children. Children are more likely to recover from the disease than adults. Approximately one-third of children recover fully, but in most adults, the disease stabilizes or progresses. The chances of survival at 5 years after the onset of symptoms is also higher in children. The better outcome in children is at least partly because dilated cardiomyopathy in children is more likely to be caused by an infection of the heart muscle (myocarditis), whereas the most common cause in adults is coronary artery disease.