How does cardiomyopathy develop

As time passes, the symptoms worsen over time. They include the following:. To learn about the various types of cardiomyopathies as well as how they may be diagnosed and treated, visit the SecondsCount Cardiomyopathies Center, found here. Find an Interventional Cardiologist. Heart Condition Centers. What Causes Cardiomyopathy? Some cancer treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia Researchers think that arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is an inherited disease.

Risk Factors - Cardiomyopathy. Major Risk Factors Certain diseases, conditions, or factors can raise your risk for cardiomyopathy. Major risk factors include: A family history of cardiomyopathy, heart failure , or sudden cardiac arrest SCA A disease or condition that can lead to cardiomyopathy, such as ischemic heart disease , heart attack , or a viral infection that inflames the heart muscle Diabetes or other metabolic diseases, or severe obesity Diseases that can damage the heart, such as hemochromatosis , sarcoidosis , or amyloidosis Long-term alcoholism Long-term high blood pressure Some people who have cardiomyopathy never have signs or symptoms.

Screening and Prevention - Cardiomyopathy. Your doctor may advise you to make heart-healthy lifestyle changes , such as: Avoiding the use of alcohol and illegal drugs Getting enough sleep and rest Heart-healthy eating Physical activity Quitting smoking Managing stress Your cardiomyopathy may be due to an underlying disease or condition.

Get regular checkups with your doctor. Take all of your medicines as your doctor prescribes. Signs, Symptoms, and Complications - Cardiomyopathy. These signs and symptoms include: Shortness of breath or trouble breathing, especially with physical exertion Fatigue tiredness Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck Other signs and symptoms may include dizziness; light-headedness; fainting during physical activity; arrhythmias irregular heartbeats ; chest pain, especially after physical exertion or heavy meals; and heart murmurs.

Diagnosis - Cardiomyopathy. Specialists Involved Often, a cardiologist or pediatric cardiologist diagnoses and treats cardiomyopathy. Medical and Family Histories Your doctor will want to learn about your medical history.

Physical Exam Your doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to your heart and lungs for sounds that may suggest cardiomyopathy. Diagnostic Tests Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following tests to diagnose cardiomyopathy. Blood Tests During a blood test , a small amount of blood is taken from your body.

Blood tests give your doctor information about your heart and help rule out other conditions. Chest X Ray A chest x ray takes pictures of the organs and structures inside your chest, such as your heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

Holter and Event Monitors Holter and event monitors are small, portable devices. Echocardiography Echocardiography echo is a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your heart. Stress Test Some heart problems are easier to diagnose when your heart is working hard and beating fast.

Diagnostic Procedures You may have one or more medical procedures to confirm a diagnosis or to prepare for surgery if surgery is planned. Cardiac Catheterization This procedure checks the pressure and blood flow in your heart's chambers. Coronary Angiography This procedure often is done with cardiac catheterization. Myocardial Biopsy For this procedure, your doctor removes a piece of your heart muscle.

Myocardial biopsy is useful for diagnosing some types of cardiomyopathy. Genetic Testing Some types of cardiomyopathy run in families.

Treatment - Cardiomyopathy. Your doctor may prescribe medicines to: Balance electrolytes in your body. Electrolytes are minerals that help maintain fluid levels and acid-base balance in the body.

They also help muscle and nerve tissues work properly. Abnormal electrolyte levels may be a sign of dehydration lack of fluid in your body , heart failure , high blood pressure, or other disorders. Aldosterone blockers are an example of a medicine used to balance electrolytes.

Keep your heart beating with a normal rhythm. These medicines, called antiarrhythmics, help prevent arrhythmias. Lower your blood pressure. ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers are examples of medicines that lower blood pressure.

Prevent blood clots from forming. Anticoagulants, or blood thinners, are an example of a medicine that prevents blood clots. Blood thinners often are used to prevent blood clots from forming in people who have dilated cardiomyopathy. Reduce inflammation. Corticosteroids are an example of a medicine used to reduce inflammation.

Remove excess sodium from your body. Diuretics, or water pills, are an example of medicines that help remove excess sodium from the body, which reduces the amount of fluid in your blood. Slow your heart rate. Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and digoxin are examples of medicines that slow the heart rate. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers also are used to lower blood pressure. Septal Myectomy Septal myectomy is open-heart surgery and is used to treat people who have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and severe symptoms.

Surgically Implanted Devices Surgeons can place several types of devices in the heart to improve function and symptoms, including: Cardiac resynchronization therapy CRT device. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator ICD. An ICD helps control life-threatening arrhythmias that may lead to sudden cardiac arrest. This small device is implanted in the chest or abdomen and connected to the heart with wires.

If an ICD senses a dangerous change in heart rhythm, it will send an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. Left ventricular assist device LVAD. This device helps the heart pump blood to the body. An LVAD can be used as a long-term therapy or as a short-term treatment for people who are waiting for a heart transplant.

This small device is placed under the skin of your chest or abdomen to help control arrhythmias. The device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate. Nonsurgical Procedure Doctors may use a nonsurgical procedure called alcohol septal ablation to treat cardiomyopathy. Living With - Cardiomyopathy. Lifestyle Changes A healthy diet and physical activity are part of a heart healthy lifestyle. Your doctor also may suggest other lifestyle changes, such as: Quitting smoking Losing excess weight Avoiding the use of alcohol and illegal drugs Getting enough sleep and rest Reducing stress Ongoing Care If you have cardiomyopathy, it's important to get ongoing care.

You also should: Take all of your medicines as your doctor prescribes. Make all of the lifestyle changes that your doctor suggests. Make sure you go to all of your medical checkups. Follow your treatment plan for any underlying conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Trials at the NIH Clinical Center Evaluating heart conditions This study aims to help train staff on a range of heart conditions by evaluating patients of all ages at the NIH Clinical Center who have heart disease or are at risk of heart disease.

Participants in the study must be at risk for or have symptoms of cardiovascular diseases. Some examples of cardiovascular diseases include coronary heart disease, heart valve disease, cardiomyopathies, peripheral artery disease, congenital heart disease, and vascular disease of the kidneys. This study is located in Bethesda, Maryland. This study aims to find out how common it is for people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to also have sleep apnea.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease that causes the heart muscle to thicken. This might include complex congenital present at birth heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, uncontrollable, fast heart rhythms, or certain types of chemotherapy for cancer. Sometimes, cardiomyopathy can be linked to a genetic defect.

Other times, the cause is unknown. Three types of cardiomyopathy typically affect adults. They are:. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs when the muscle of the left ventricle thickens. This can block blood flow to the rest of the body.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can affect the heart's mitral valve, causing blood to leak backward through the valve. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most frequent form of cardiomyopathy. The cavity of the heart is enlarged and stretched, compromising the heart's ability to pump normally and relax appropriately:. This occurs most often in adults ages 20 to It is more common in men than women, but has been diagnosed in people of all ages, including children.

Dilated cardiomyopathy can be caused by chronic, heavy alcohol use and nutritional deficiencies tied to alcoholism. Other possible causes include: alcohol abuse, infections, and illicit drugs.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This type involves abnormal thickening of your heart muscle, which makes it harder for the heart to work. It mostly affects the muscle of your heart's main pumping chamber left ventricle. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can develop at any age, but the condition tends to be more severe if it occurs during childhood.

Most people with this type of cardiomyopathy have a family history of the disease. Some genetic mutations have been linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Restrictive cardiomyopathy. In this type, the heart muscle becomes stiff and less flexible, so it can't expand and fill with blood between heartbeats.

This least common type of cardiomyopathy can occur at any age, but it most often affects older people. Restrictive cardiomyopathy can occur for no known reason idiopathic , or it can by caused by a disease elsewhere in the body that affects the heart, such as amyloidosis.

As the heart weakens, as it can with heart failure, it begins to enlarge, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood on to the rest of the body. In many cases, you can't prevent cardiomyopathy.

Let your doctor know if you have a family history of the condition. You can help reduce your risk of cardiomyopathy and other types of heart disease by living a heart-healthy lifestyle and making lifestyle choices such as:. Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced.

See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients. Cardiomyopathy is a medical term for a number of genetic and nongenetic diseases involving the heart muscle that adversely affect the heart's mechanical pumping function and its electrical system.

It can occur in people of all ages, races or genders, and it is a frequent cause of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death.