Understanding cardiomyopathy can help you find the right treatment
Cardiomyopathy is a collection of conditions that affect the heart muscle and reduce the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. Up to 1 in 500 adults may have the condition, but it often goes undiagnosed.
All cardiomyopathies interfere with blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. But the exact issue with pumping blood out of the heart can differ. Possible problems include:
- Heart muscle scarring or stiffening
- The heart filling with a substance other than blood
- Thickening or thinning of the heart muscle
These issues may lead to heart failure or sudden cardiac arrest, where the heart stops pumping unexpectedly.
Types of cardiomyopathies
Types of cardiomyopathies include:
Cardiomyopathy symptoms
Some people never experience symptoms of this condition. In others, cardiomyopathy symptoms may appear or worsen as the condition progresses.
Possible cardiomyopathy symptoms include:
- Angina (chest pain), especially after physical activity or eating a large meal
- Arrhythmia
- Extreme tiredness
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fainting
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Swelling in the abdomen, ankles, feet or legs
What causes cardiomyopathy?
The cause of cardiomyopathy is often unknown, but several possible factors can be involved, including:
- Coronary heart disease
- Extreme stress
- Genetics
- Health conditions that damage the heart muscle
- Heart attacks
- High blood pressure
- Pregnancy
- Viral infection
Cardiomyopathy risk factors
Cardiomyopathy can affect people of all ages, but some types are more common at certain stages of life. For example, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy often affects teens or young adults. In contrast, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is more likely to affect people in their 30s.
Similarly, certain types are more common in men, and others tend to affect women.
You may be at higher risk for cardiomyopathy if you have any of the following risk factors:
- Diabetes
- Family history of cardiomyopathy, heart failure or sudden cardiac arrest
- High stress levels
- History of chemotherapy or radiation treatments
- Infection in the heart muscle
- Obesity
- Regular alcohol use
- Thyroid disease
- Use of illegal drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamines
Diagnosing cardiomyopathy
Your healthcare provider may recommend diagnostic tests if they notice symptoms or if you have a close family member with cardiomyopathy. These tests can confirm if you have cardiomyopathy or rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.
Cardiomyopathy treatment options
Some types of cardiomyopathy don’t require treatment if they aren’t causing symptoms. Certain kinds may also go away on their own.
If you need treatment for your cardiomyopathy, your cardiologist will work with you to develop a care plan to:
- Improve your quality of life
- Keep the condition from worsening
- Manage symptoms
- Prevent serious complications, including sudden cardiac arrest
- Treat an underlying health condition causing cardiomyopathy
Depending on the type of cardiomyopathy you have, treatment might include a combination of lifestyle changes, medication, medical procedures or surgery.