Cardiomyopathy
There are three types of cardiomyopathy.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
In dilated cardiomyopathy, the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle becomes enlarged and weakened. It is no longer able to pump blood as efficiently as a healthy heart. While it does not always cause symptoms, it can cause heart failure, arrhythmia and blood clots.
Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors
Symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy include shortness of breath, dizziness and fainting, weight gain and swelling from fluid retention.
The exact causes for dilated cardiomyopathy haven’t been established, but risk factors include atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart valve problems, damage from previous heart attacks, genetic factors, alcoholism and tachycardia (rapid heart rate).
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
The term hypertrophic cardiomyopathy describes conditions in which the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart) thicken and become stiff.
Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors
Symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may include:
- Angina (chest pain), especially during activity
- Fainting (also known as syncope)
- Arrhythmia and heart palpitations
- Shortness of breath.
People with a congenital heart defect and/or genetic factors (a family history of cardiomyopathy) may be an increased risk.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
In restrictive cardiomyopathy, the ventricles of the heart become stiff. This stiffness prevents the lower chambers from filling up with blood in between heartbeats. Thus, it prevents the heart from pumping blood normally.
Symptoms, Causes and Risk Factors
Symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy may include:
Restrictive cardiomyopathy may be caused by:
- A build up of scar tissue
- Amyloidosis (build-up of abnormal proteins in the heart muscle )
- Chemotherapy or chest exposure to radiation
- Sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that can affect organs including the heart
Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiomyopathy
Diagnostic methods for identifying cardiomyopathy may include chest X-rays, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress test, cardiac catheterization, CT or MRI scans, or, in some cases, genetic testing
Some cases of cardiomyopathy can be treated with drug therapy alone, using ACE inhibitors to control blood pressure, diuretics to help relieve swelling and beta blockers to slow the heart and keep it from working too hard. In other cases, an electrophysiologist may implant a biventricular pacing device to coordinate the heart contractions. Or, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator may be used to monitor the heart and deliver electric shocks when abnormal heartbeat occurs.