MORE INFORMATION
Cardiomyopathy What Is Cardiomyopathy?
Cardiomyopathy is a disease that weakens the heart muscle. This makes it harder for your heart to pump blood. The word "cardiomyopathy" means "heart muscle disease."
Learn more about how the heart works
Cardiomyopathy can affect people of any sex, race, or age. There are several types of cardiomyopathy and many causes and risk factors. Young adults, even athletes, are at risk for a type of cardiomyopathy called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Peripartum cardiomyopathy affects some women, before, during, or soon after pregnancy. Newborns and children can have cardiomyopathy.
Depending on the type of cardiomyopathy that you have, your heart muscle may become thicker, stiffer, or larger than normal. These changes weaken the heart and may cause an irregular heartbeat, heart failure, or a life-threatening event such as cardiac arrest or cardiogenic shock.
Cardiomyopathy may be caused by your , other medical conditions, unhealthy lifestyle factors, or extreme stress. However, many times, the cause of cardiomyopathy is not known.
People with cardiomyopathy may have shortness of breath, , dizziness and fainting, swelling in the ankles or legs, or chest pain as the disease gets worse. Your healthcare provider will ask about your and order tests to diagnose cardiomyopathy. Echocardiography is the most common test. tests may identify the cause of your cardiomyopathy and help assess the risk of cardiomyopathy in blood relatives.
Some people have no cardiomyopathy symptoms and may not need treatment. Even so, some providers may recommend treatment to prevent progression of the disease.
Cardiomyopathy treatments include medicines, procedures, healthy lifestyle changes, implanted devices, and therapy to lower stress. Treatments may not fix the problem with your heart, but they may lower symptoms, prevent the disease from getting worse, and reduce the chance of sudden death. Talk with your provider to set up a treatment plan to improve your quality of life.