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Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle. These diseases enlarge your heart muscle or make it thicker and more rigid than normal. In rare cases, scar tissue replaces the muscle tissue.
Some people live long, healthy lives with cardiomyopathy. Some people don't even realize they have it. In others, however, it can make the heart less able to pump blood through the body. This can cause serious complications, including
Heart attacks, high blood pressure or infections can all cause cardiomyopathy. Some types of cardiomyopathy run in families. In many people, however, the cause is unknown. Treatment might involve medicines, surgery, other medical procedures and lifestyle changes.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
'''Cardiomyopathy''' is the deterioration of the cardiac muscle of the heart wall. Cardiomyopathies can generally be categorized into two groups: '''ischemic cardiomyopathy''' and '''nonischemic cardiomyopathy'''. Ischemic cardiomyopathy is weakness in the muscle of the heart due to coronary artery disease. Individuals with ischemic cardiomyopathy typically have a history of myocardial infarction (heart attack). Nonischemic cardiomyopathy is weakness in the muscle of the heart that is not due to coronary artery disease. To make a diagnosis of nonischemic cardiomyopathy, significant coronary artery disease should be ruled out. The term nonischemic cardiomyopathy does not describe the etiology of weakened heart muscle. The nonischemic cardiomyopathies are a mixed-bag of disease states, each with their own causes. Nonischemic cardiomyopathy has a number of causes including drug and ethanol toxicity, certain infections, and various genetics and idiopathic (i.e. unknown) causes. There are four main types of nonischemic cardiomyopathy: * Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) * Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM or HOCM) * Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) * Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) Cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure as the pumping efficiency of the heart is diminished. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia and/or sudden cardiac death. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the commonest form of cardiomyopathy, and one of the leading indications for heart transplantation. In DCM the heart (especially the left ventricle) is enlarged and weakened. Approximately 40% of cases are familial, but the genetics are poorly understood compared with HCM. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disorder caused by various mutations in genes encoding sarcomere proteins. In HCM the heart muscle is thickened, which can ... [ Read More ]
American Heart Association: Congestive Heart Failure - Detailed information about this topic as well as links to related subjects such as enlarged heart, high blood pressure, kidney function and cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy Association - Helps sufferers and medical professionals find ways to deal with various forms of this disease.
Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy Research Project - Offers information about the project for patients, families and health professionals. Oregon Health Sciences University.
Johns Hopkins Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplant Service - An in-depth look at this disorder, discussing major causes, heart failure syndrome, treatment and procedures and many other topics.
Charity Mae Foundation - In memory of Charity Mae who died unexpectedly on Jan. 18/98 from complications of cardiomyopathy. Detailed information on this disorder and a support group.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - Answers questions such as what is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, how common is it, how does it develop, symptoms, physical exam, and is there a cure.
Cardiomyopathy - A list of all the different types and a brief descriptions of each.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association - Membership information is discussed as well as in-depth discussion on this disorder. Some topics are, how common it is, symptoms, diagnosing, cures and research.
The Merck Manual - A look at dilated (congestive), hypertophic, and restrictive cardiomyopathies, discussing the symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of each.
Dr. Strand MD: Specializing in Nutritional Medicine - Looks extensively at cardiomyopathy and Coenzyme Q10 supplementing.