What is Cardiomyopathy?

Description of the disease

Cardiomyopathy is a group of heart diseases in which the heart muscle becomes weak and unable to effectively pump blood. This can lead to serious heart problems such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and even heart attack.

Classification

• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia

Symptoms

Symptoms of cardiomyopathy may include fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, fainting, irregular heartbeats, and chest pain.

Causes

The causes of cardiomyopathy can be diverse, including genetic predisposition, infections, alcohol, drugs, chemotherapy, and other factors.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of cardiomyopathy may include ECG, echocardiography, MRI, genetic mutation tests, and heart biopsy.

Treatment

Treatment of cardiomyopathy depends on the type and severity of the disease, but may include medications, implantation of cardioverter-defibrillators, cardiac resynchronization therapy, or heart transplantation.

Prevention

Prevention of cardiomyopathy includes a healthy lifestyle, regular medical check-ups, avoidance of harmful habits, and following the doctor's recommendations.

Doctor

A cardiologist specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of heart diseases, including cardiomyopathy.