Epidemiology
We conducted a review of the medical literature available in a number of
major clinical databases (PubMed, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA,
Nature, Annals of internal Medicine, Google Scholar and SciELO). We
found 18 articles, consisting of case reports and observational studies,
which described Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy as a side effect of
Tacrolimus occurring in a wide age range (Table 1). While similar cases
have been described in patients aged between 58 to 62 years8,13,14, there are reports of this adverse effect
occurring in much younger patients. For example, Turska et al. mention a
17-month-old child with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy15, and another case describes a premature newborn
with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy whose mother had received tacrolimus
during pregnancy 16. There were no differences between
men and women regarding occurrence of tacrolimus induced cardiomyopathy,
with reports of this adverse effect in both sexes.