An overview of Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that makesit harder for the heart topump blood to the rest of thebody. Cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure.

Dilated cardiomyopathy : In this type of cardiomyopathy, theheart's main pumpingchamber — the left ventricle — becomesenlarged (dilated) and can't effectively pumpblood out ofthe heart. Although this type can affect people of all ages,it occursmost often in middle-aged people and is morelikely to affect men. The most commoncause is coronaryartery disease or heart attack. However, it can also becaused bygenetic changes.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy : This type involves abnormalthickening of the heartmuscle, which makes it harder forthe heart to work. It mostly affects the muscle oftheheart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle). Hypertrophiccardiomyopathy candevelop at any age, but the conditiontends to be more severe if it occurs duringchildhood. Mostpeople with this type of cardiomyopathy have a familyhistory of thedisease. Some genetic changes have beenlinked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy : In this type, the heart musclebecomes stiff and lessflexible, so it can't expand and fillwith blood between heartbeats. This leastcommon type ofcardiomyopathy can occur at any age, but it most oftenaffects olderpeople. Restrictive cardiomyopathy can occurfor no known reason (idiopathic), or itcan by caused by adisease elsewhere in the body that affects the heart, suchasamyloidosis.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia : In this raretype of cardiomyopathy, themuscle in the lower right heartchamber (right ventricle) is replaced by scar tissue,whichcan lead to heart rhythm problems. It's often caused bygenetic changes.

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) : Abnormalprotein buildup (ATTRamyloidosis) in your heart’s leftventricle (primary blood-pumping chamber).

Unclassified cardiomyopathy : Other types of cardiomyopathyfall into this category EGBroken heart syndrome,Chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy andPeripartumcardiomyopathy.

Often the cause of the cardiomyopathy is unknown. In somepeople, however, it's theresult of another condition(acquired) or passed on from a parent (inherited).Certainhealth conditions or behaviors that can lead to acquiredcardiomyopathyinclude:

1. COVID-19 infection.

2. Certain infections, especially those that causeinflammation of the heart.

3. Long-term high blood pressure

4. Heart tissue damage from a heart attack.

5. Heart valve problems.

6. Metabolic disorders, such as obesity, thyroid disease ordiabetes.

7. Lack of essential vitamins or minerals in the diet, suchas thiamin (vitamin B-1).

8. Pregnancy complications

9. Iron buildup in the heart muscle (hemochromatosis).

10. The growth of tiny lumps of inflammatory cells(granulomas) in any part of thebody, including the heartand lungs (sarcoidosis).

11. The buildup of abnormal proteins in the organs(amyloidosis) and Connective tissuedisorders

12. Drinking too much alcohol over many years and Use ofcocaine, amphetamines oranabolic steroids

There might be no signs or symptoms in the early stages ofcardiomyopathy. But as thecondition advances, signs andsymptoms usually appear, including:

1. Breathlessness with activity or even at rest

2. Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet

3. Bloating of the abdomen due to fluid buildup

4. Cough while lying down

5. Difficulty lying flat to sleep

6. Fatigue

6. Heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering

7. Chest discomfort or pressure

8. Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting

Signs and symptoms tend to get worse unless treated. In somepeople, the conditionworsens quickly; in others, it mightnot worsen for a long time.

In many cases, there's no prevention for cardiomyopathy. Letyour health care providerknow if you have a family historyof the condition.

You can help reduce your risk of cardiomyopathy and othertypes of heart disease byliving a heart-healthy lifestyle,including:

1. Avoiding the use of alcohol or cocaine

2. Controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol anddiabetes

3. Eating a healthy diet

4. Getting regular exercise

5. Getting enough sleep

6. Reducing your stress

See your health care provider if you have one or more signsor symptoms associatedwith cardiomyopathy. Call 911 or yourlocal emergency number if you have severedifficultybreathing, fainting or chest pain that lasts for more than afew minutes.Some types of cardiomyopathy can be passed downthrough families (inherited). If youhave the condition,your health care provider might recommend that your familymembersbe checked.

Cardiomyopathy treatment focuses on controlling yoursymptoms. Treatment also slowsthe disease’s progression.You will have regular checkups to keep an eye onyourheart’s health. Your healthcare provider may recommend:

Medications: Heart medications can improve your blood flow,control symptoms or treatunderlying conditions. You maytake blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin®),betablockers such as propranolol (Inderal®) or medications tolower cholesterol.

Devices to correct arrhythmias: Pacemakers or implantablecardioverter defibrillators(ICDs) treat irregular heartrhythms. These devices monitor your heartbeat. Theysendelectrical impulses to your heart when an arrhythmia starts.

Devices to improve blood flow: Some devices help your heartpump blood moreefficiently. Cardiac resynchronizationtherapy (CRT) devices control the contractionsbetween theleft and right sides of the heart. A left ventricular assistdevice (LVAD)helps your heart pump blood.

Surgery: If you have severe symptoms or underlying heartconditions, your provider mayrecommend heart surgery.Providers usually only recommend open-heart surgery oraheart transplant when all other treatments have failed tobring relief.

Cardiomyopathy can lead to serious complications, including:

Heart failure : The heart can't pump enough blood to meetthe body's needs. Untreated,heart failure can belife-threatening.

Blood clots : Because the heart can't pump effectively,blood clots might form in theheart. If clots enter thebloodstream, they can block the blood flow to otherorgans,including the heart and brain.

Heart valve problems : Because cardiomyopathy causes theheart to enlarge, the heartvalves might not close properly.This can cause blood to flow backward in the valve.

Cardiac arrest and sudden death : Cardiomyopathy can triggerirregular heart rhythmsthat cause fainting or, in somecases, sudden death if the heart stops beatingeffectively.

There are a number of things that can increase your risk ofcardiomyopathy, including:

1. Family history of cardiomyopathy, heart failure andsudden cardiac arrest

2. Long-term high blood pressure

3. Conditions that affect the heart, including a past heartattack, coronary arterydisease or an infection in the heart(ischemic cardiomyopathy)

3. Obesity, which makes the heart work harder

3. Long-term alcohol misuse and Illicit drug use, such ascocaine, amphetamines andanabolic steroids

Many diseases also raise your risk of cardiomyopathy,including:

1. Many diseases also raise your risk of cardiomyopathy,including:

2. Thyroid disease

3. Amyloidosis

4. Sarcoidosis

. Connective tissue disorders