my husband is 42 and has an enlarged heart and his doctor told him that they are going to put him on the heart transplant list just as a precation and if and when a heart becomes available depending on how he is doing they will either do the transplant surgery or cancel if he is doing well.  What are the causes of this?  I read that sleep apnea may have caused the a-fib but how about the enlarged heart?  And does anyone really know ones live expectancy.
Hello, Common causes include coronary artery disease leading to blockages and dilated cardiomyopathy(DCMP).  I guess coronary angiography must have been done and if not it should be down to rule out blockages. Life expectancy depends upon the heart function called as ejection fraction. Normally its 55-60% and if its too low like 10-15% then may not have very long life except heart transplant. Otherwise, can be fair.  He should on med to prevent further deterioration and if EF < 35% then he'll also need ICD device. So you can discuss all these issues with your cardiologist.