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Key Points
- Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart
muscle. It has a variety of causes, symptoms, and treatments.
- In cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle becomes
enlarged or abnormally thick or rigid. In rare cases, the muscle tissue in the
heart is replaced with scar tissue.
- The four major types of cardiomyopathy are
dilated, hypertrophic, and restrictive cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right
ventricular dysplasia.
- Some types of cardiomyopathy are caused by a gene
mutation and run in families. Other types are a result of another disease or
condition, such as damage to the heart from a
heart
attack,
high
blood pressure, or a viral infection. In many cases, the cause is
unknown.
- Cardiomyopathy can affect people of all ages,
from babies to older adults. However, certain age groups are more likely to
have certain types of cardiomyopathy.
- Signs and symptoms of cardiomyopathy can include:
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath after exercise or even at
rest
- Swelling of the abdomen, legs, ankles, and
feet
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting
during exercise
- Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) or an extra or unusual sound heard during the
heartbeat (heart
murmur)
- Cardiomyopathy is diagnosed using a medical
history, physical exam, and tests such as
chest x ray,
electrocardiogram,
echocardiogram, stress test, and blood tests.
- Because cardiomyopathy often runs in families,
doctors may recommend that the parents, brothers and sisters, and children of
people with cardiomyopathy be tested for the disease.
- Treatments depend on the type of cardiomyopathy,
how severe the symptoms and complications are, and the age and overall health
of the person.
- The main goals of treatment are to manage any
conditions that cause or contribute to the cardiomyopathy, control symptoms,
stop the disease from getting worse, and reduce complications and the chance of
sudden cardiac death.
- Treatment may involve medicines, surgery,
nonsurgical procedures, or lifestyle changes.
- Cardiomyopathy can sometimes be prevented by
managing or preventing the underlying condition that causes the disease.
Cardiomyopathy that runs in families cannot be prevented.
- Some people live long, healthy lives despite
having cardiomyopathy. Some people don't even realize that they have the
disease because they have no symptoms. In other people, the disease develops
rapidly, symptoms are severe, and serious complications develop. Current
treatments can do much to reduce symptoms and help people live healthy
lives.
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Living With Links
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