Cardiomyopathy

As cardiomyopathy worsens, the heart becomes weaker. It's less able to pump blood through the body and maintain a normal electrical rhythm. This can lead to heart failure and rhythm problems. In turn, heart failure can cause fluid to build up in the lungs, ankles, feet, legs or abdomen.

What Causes Cardiomyopathy?

The different types of the disease have different causes, signs, symptoms and outcomes.

Cardiomyopathy can be acquired or inherited. "Acquired" means you weren't born with the disease but you developed it due to another disease, condition or factor. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene for the disease on to you.

In many cases, the cause of cardiomyopathy isn't known. However, cardiomyopathy can be caused by:

• Drinking too much alcohol over a period of time, particularly if you have an unhealthy diet
• Viral infections which cause inflammation of the heart muscle (known as myocarditis)
• Some cardiomyopathies run in families.

What are the different types of cardiomyopathy?

Signs and symptoms

Dilated cardiomyopathy may build up over several years and not cause significant problems.
However, over time the enlarged heart gradually weakens. This is called heart failure.
Heart failure has several causes and cardiomyopathy is one of them.

Signs and symptoms of heart failure include:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Coughing particularly when lying down
• Swelling of your legs and feet, as a result of fluid building up - this may also affect other parts of your body
• Weight gain due to body retaining fluid
• Irregular heartbeats, which can be serious and sometimes life threatening.

How is cardiomyopathy diagnosed?

 Most people with symptoms related to the function of the heart will have an electrocardiogram (ECG), chest x-ray and echocardiogram (Echo), which allows the structure and function of the heart to be examined.
Some blood tests may also be required. From these tests, the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy can be made.

How is Cardiomyopathy Treated?

Treatment aims to relieve symptoms and prevent complications. Medication may be used to control the symptoms of heart failure, to treat and prevent arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms), and to lessen the risk of blood clots forming.
Cardioversion, a pacemaker or an implantable defibrillator may be used to treat and control certain types of arrhythmia.
People with Hypertropic Cardiomyopathy are sometimes offered surgery to remove parts of the thickened heart muscle.
When the symptoms of cardiomyopathy aren't well controlled by medication and a person's quality of life is affected, heart transplantation may be considered.

Download and print our guide on Staying Well with Heart Failure.