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What Is Cardiomyopathy?Cardiomyopathy: Cardiomyopathy is a general term for a number of diseases that weaken the heart muscle. There are three basic types of cardiomyopathy. Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common type. The ventricles are enlarged and weak and do not pump blood well. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Another type is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, also known as idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS). The heart muscle of the ventricles thickens, which causes the cavity of the ventricles to be smaller than normal. Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: The third type, and the rarest form of cardiomyopathy is restrictive cardiomyopathy. Again, the heart muscle walls of the ventricles become very thick. |
What Causes Cardiomyopathy?In many cases, no cause can be found for the cardiomyopathy, regardless of the type. Dilated cardiomyopathy may be caused by heavy alcohol intake, infection or inflammation of the heart muscle, pregnancy, high blood pressure, and/or chemotherapy. About 60% of the cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are inherited. The other 40% have no known cause. Diseases may cause restrictive cardiomyopathy, but many times the cause is unknown. Diseases include fibrosis (tough fibers form in the heart muscle), collagen-vascular diseases and amyloidosis (the build-up of protein fibers in the heart). Some diseases that cause restrictive cardiomyopathy are inherited. These include Fabry's disease (build-up of a product of metabolism in the heart), hemochromatosis (build-up of iron in the heart), and sarcoidosis (tumor-like growths in the heart). |
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