Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.
Cardiomyopathy can have various causes. It may genetic or familial, but can also caused by viruses or infections, drugs or other toxins, metabolic disorders, connective tissue disorders or mitochondrial diseases.
Types of cardiomyopathy:
There are several types of cardiomyopathy, including:
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM): The heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) becomes enlarged and weakened, making it less efficient at pumping blood.
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM): The heart muscle thickens abnormally, which can make it harder for the heart to pump blood.
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (RCM): The heart muscle becomes rigid and less elastic, so it can’t expand and fill with blood between heartbeats as well as it should.
- Unclassified: Arrhythmogenic RV dysplasia (ARVD), LV non-compaction (LVNC). These two are not as common as the above three.
What are the symptoms of cardiomyopathy?
Common symptoms of cardiomyopathy include:
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Swollen legs and feet
- Irregular heartbeats
What kind of treatment options are there?
Treatment for cardiomyopathy will depend on the type of cardiomyopathy and how serious it is. It often involves regular medical checkups, medications, and in some cases, surgery or implanted devices to help the heart function.
Some people with severe cardiomyopathy might need a heart transplant.
