What is the long-term outlook of dilated cardiomyopathy?

CHF: Congestive heart failure, shortness of breath.

Depends: Depends on how severe it is. Milder forms can be controlled with medications, which is the majority of patients, and a normal lifestyle is quite possible. The most severe cases may be eligible for heart transplantation, talk to your doctor.

Depends: Needs close follow up by an expert doc. One can live many years if monitored and managed by an expert doc without doc sudden death is easily possible.