Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a condition that literally translates as “heart muscle disease” (from Latin). It is classified as the deterioration of the function of the myocardium (heart muscle), regardless of the cause. Often, those who suffer from cardiomyopathy are at risk of arrhythmia (irregular heart electrical activity) and/or sudden heart arrest or death.
Cardiomyopathy
There are generally two groups of cardiomyopathy: extrinsic and intrinsic.
Extrinsic cardiomyopathy is characterized by pathology (causes) that exist outside of the heart muscle. Most cardiomyopathy cases are extrinsic, because the most common cause is ischemia.
Ischaemic cardiomyopathy is often caused by coronary artery disease, and results an insufficient oxygen delivery to the heart muscle.
Extrinsic cardiomyopathy can result in many diseases such as: hemochromatosis (iron in the liver/organs), amyloidosis (abnormal accumulation of protein), diabetes, and more.
Intrinsic cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle condition (weakness/deterioration) that is not caused by an identifiable external factor. It has a number of causes, which include: drug and alcohol, infections (including Hepatitis C), genetic causes, and unknown causes.
Treatment for both types of cardiomyopathy is available, and varies slightly between each. However, typical methods include medical therapy or artificial pacemakers. The goal of treatment is more than often limited to symptom relief, with very few options treating the actual condition. Many patients may eventually need a heart transplant.
Other alternative methods of treatment include stem cell therapy, but there is not a huge amount of convincing medical evidence to suggest this is effective.
Symptoms for cardiomyopathy include: shortness of breath, cough, leg-swelling, chest pain, fainting, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, loss of appetite, increased urination, and several more. If these symptoms get much worse, it may be a sign of cardiac failure (heart attack) and medical attention should be sought immediately.
Cardiomyopathy is a serious condition, and one that affects millions of people, as heart failure is the leading cause of death in the United States. Although the risk of cardiomyopathy cannot be completely eliminated, a healthy lifestyle and exercise can help.