Viral infections in the heart are a major cause of cardiomyopathy. In some cases, another disease or its treatment causes cardiomyopathy. This might include complex congenital (present at birth) heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, uncontrollable, fast heart rhythms, or certain types of chemotherapy for cancer.
A heart biopsy, or myocardial biopsy, is used to diagnose some types of cardiomyopathy. For this test, your doctor will remove a very small piece of your heart muscle to check for signs of cardiomyopathy. This can be done during cardiac catheterization.
Cardiomyopathy is a serious condition. Without treatment, it can be life-threatening. Cardiomyopathy is also a progressive condition, meaning it usually worsens over time.
Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): An EKG records the heart's electrical activity, showing how fast the heart is beating and whether its rhythm is steady or irregular. An EKG can detect cardiomyopathy as well as other problems, including heart attacks, arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) and heart failure.
Heart failure can occur when the heart muscle is weak (systolic failure) or when it is stiff and unable to relax normally (diastolic failure). Cardiomyopathy, which means “disease of the heart muscle,” is one of many causes of heart failure.
If you are diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, your doctor may tell you to change your diet and physical activity, reduce stress, avoid alcohol and other drugs, and take medicines. Your doctor may also treat you for the conditions that led to cardiomyopathy, if they exist, or recommend surgery.
There are a number of things that can increase your risk of cardiomyopathy, including: Family history of cardiomyopathy, heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest. Long-term high blood pressure.
Depending on the type of cardiomyopathy that you have, your heart muscle may become thicker, stiffer, or larger than normal. This can weaken your heart and cause an irregular heartbeat, heart failure, or a life-threatening condition called cardiac arrest. Some people have no symptoms and do not need treatment.
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy
In fact, it is the most common cause of sudden death in young people and in athletes.
With proper care, many people can live long and full lives with a cardiomyopathy diagnosis. When recommending treatment, we always consider the least invasive approach first. Options range from lifestyle support and medications to implantable devices, procedures, and surgeries.
If untreated, cardiomyopathy can weaken the heart, leading to more serious conditions, including lessened blood flow, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), problems with the heart's valves and heart failure.
The actual incidence of myocarditis is also difficult to determine as endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), the diagnostic gold standard, is used infrequently. Nevertheless, in up to 30 % of patients with biopsy-proven myocarditis, progression to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) can occur and is associated with a poor prognosis.
The average age of diagnosis within the HCMA database is 39 years. About half of adults with HCM present with symptoms.
Fatigue and Activity Changes
The easiest way to know that heart failure is getting worse is you're able to do less and less. People start pacing themselves. They stop doing hobbies that involve any physical activity. They used to go fishing, but not anymore.
Some cases of cardiomyopathy can be diagnosed after various heart scans and tests, such as: electrocardiogram (ECG) echocardiogram.
Many medications are used to treat cardiomyopathy. Your health care professional may prescribe medicines to: Lower your blood pressure. ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are examples of medicines that lower blood pressure.
Because many people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy don't realize they have it, sudden cardiac death might be the first sign of the condition. It can happen in seemingly healthy young people, including high school athletes and other young, active adults.
Avoid cured and processed meats, which are high in sodium. Burgers and steaks, even unseasoned, present their own problem: they're high in the types of fat that can lead to clogged arteries. Instead, aim to eat more fish than red meat, especially salmon, tuna, trout, and cod.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or stress cardiomyopathy, is a weakening of the heart muscle as a result of significant emotional or physical stress. Triggers may include sudden illness, a serious accident, a natural disaster, loss of a loved one or intense fear. The condition is sometimes known as broken-heart syndrome.
It's a silent killer." Children at risk should have an echocardiogram to see if the heart muscle is enlarged. That must be repeated every five years until adulthood and is not always conclusive.
Change your sleep position.
“In heart failure patients, lateral sleep positions — on the side, left or right — can often decrease sleep apnea.” It's controversial whether the left or right side is best, says Khayat. If you have an implanted defibrillator, sleep on the opposite side.