Cardiomyopathy Diagnosis

Your healthcare provider may screen you for cardiomyopathy if a close relative has this condition or has had another serious heart condition. Your healthcare provider will ask whether people in your family have died suddenly.

Your provider may also notice signs of cardiomyopathy during a routine exam. If you have symptoms of heart weakness, your provider will order tests:

Heart tests and procedures such as imaging tests, electrocardiograms, and stress tests check the size and shape of your heart and assess how well it is working. They may also provide other information about the heart.
Blood tests check the levels of substances in your blood that change if you have cardiomyopathy or complications such as heart failure.
Genetic testing can identify inherited types of cardiomyopathy. This is important if you or a blood relative has cardiomyopathy or another heart condition that runs in families. A genetic counselor can help you through the process.

Be sure to let your provider know if you're planning a pregnancy or if you are pregnant. Not all tests and procedures are safe for pregnant women.

Heart imaging and exams

Your provider will order imaging tests to assess your heart’s shape and its ability to pump blood.

Echocardiogram, or echo, uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart. The pictures show the size and shape of your heart and how well it is pumping blood.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses radio waves, magnets, and a computer to create detailed pictures of your heart. This noninvasive test can provide information about the type and seriousness of heart disease to help find the best way to treat your condition.
Cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan, also called a “CAT scan,” uses X-rays to take detailed pictures of your heart and its blood vessels. With this noninvasive test, computers use the pictures to create a three-dimensional model of your heart.
A chest X-ray uses fast imaging to look at the structures in and around your chest. It can help diagnose and check conditions such as heart failure.
An electrocardiogram detects and records your heart’s electrical activity. It is also called an ECG or EKG. An ECG can show how fast your heart is beating. It also shows the rhythm of your heartbeats and the pattern of electrical impulses passing through your heart.
A heart stress test checks how your heart works under stress. During stress testing, you exercise on a treadmill or a stationary bike to make your heart beat quickly. If you can’t exercise, your provider may give you medicine to make your heart work harder, as it would during exercise. To check for low blood flow to your heart muscle, your provider will use an ECG, echocardiogram, or another imaging test while you exercise.

Understanding Ejection Fraction

When you and your provider talk about the results of an echocardiogram, you'll probably hear the term "ejection fraction." This is the percentage of blood that your heart pumps out with every heartbeat. A normal ejection fraction is about 60%. The fraction is often lower in people who have cardiomyopathy or heart failure.

Procedures

Your provider may perform one or more heart procedures to help diagnose cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is a medical procedure used to diagnose and treat some heart conditions. The procedure uses a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter. A provider puts the tube into a blood vessel in your arm, groin, or upper thigh. Then they thread the tube to your heart.

Heart biopsy

A heart biopsy, or myocardial biopsy , is used to diagnose some types of cardiomyopathy. A provider removes a very small piece of your heart muscle to check for signs of cardiomyopathy. This can be done during cardiac catheterization.

Coronary angiography

Coronary angiography uses contrast dye and X-ray pictures to detect blockages in the coronary arteries that are caused by plaque buildup. Your provider may order this test to see if cardiomyopathy was caused by coronary heart disease.