Merlo M, Cannatà A, Loco CP, et al. - Researchers assessed clinical descriptors, survival trends as well as the prognostic influence of etiological characterization in Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients. Four groups of DCM patients were defined based on the period of enrolment: 1) 1978‐1984; 2) 1985‐1994; 3) 1995‐2004; 4) 2005‐2015. They also examined a cohort including patients with DCM with specific etiology. Findings revealed significant improvement of the contemporary survival trends of DCM patients, chiefly driven by a decrease of cardiovascular events. The multivariable analysis revealed an independent link between the last period of enrollment and a decrease in all‐cause mortality/Heart Transplantation (HTx)/Ventricular Assist device (VAD), cardiovascular death/HTx/VAD and Sudden Cardiac Death. In 287 DCM with specific etiologies, patients having environmental, toxic or removable factors seemed to have different phenotypes as well as prognosis vs those having genetic, post‐myocarditis or idiopathic DCM. The prognostication of DCM patients might be aided by proper etiological characterization.