Cardiomyopathy is a group of conditions that affect your heart’s ability to pump blood effectively and if left untreated, may lead to heart failure and a shortened lifespan. The global prevalence of cardiomyopathy is increasing. However, it is thought that a significant number of people living with this condition remain undiagnosed.
Cardiomyopathy refers to disease of the heart muscle. It can affect individuals of any age, though is more common in those over the age of 65, and rare in children. This condition can worsen over time, sometimes deteriorating rapidly.
There are several different types of cardiomyopathy, which are distinguished by their structural abnormality. All forms of cardiomyopathy reduce the heart’s capacity to pump blood around the body. The three most common types of cardiomyopathy are:
This involves the ventricles of the heart expanding, which stretch and thin the walls of these lower chambers. Dilated cardiomyopathy is often associated with breathlessness and fatigue.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common inherited cardiomyopathy, defined by a thickening and stiffening of the heart muscle. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can cause chest pain or feeling short of breath in some people. It is also associated with arrhythmia, syncope, and even cardiac arrest.
This type of cardiomyopathy is when the ventricle walls become hardened and stiff. Restrictive cardiomyopathy is often associated with hypertension (high blood pressure). Another common example is cardiac amyloidosis.
Other types of cardiomyopathy include Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, Fabry’s disease, and left ventricular noncompaction.
Some forms of cardiomyopathy are genetic and passed down through families. The condition may also be related to another medical condition, or develop over time from environmental or lifestyle factors.
Potential cardiomyopathy causes include:
It is not always possible to identify an underlying cause for cardiomyopathy. This commonly presents as a condition known as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
Because cardiomyopathy impacts how well your heart can push blood and oxygen around your body, cardiomyopathy symptoms are often due to poor circulation and oxygen supply.
Common cardiomyopathy symptoms can involve:
However, not everyone with cardiomyopathy will experience symptoms. Symptoms can also vary in severity and their impact on daily activities between individuals.
Cardiomyopathy increases the risk of a number of potentially life-threatening complications, particularly if the condition is not properly managed. Individuals with a severe cardiomyopathy may be at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias. Most forms of cardiomyopathy cause heart failure, which may lead to hospitalisation and decreased quality of life.
Heart failure and cardiomyopathy are closely related, as the structural changes found in cardiomyopathy lead to weakness and an inability to beat effectively, defined as heart failure.
As cardiomyopathy refers to a group of heart diseases rather than a single condition, treatment is tailored based on the type of cardiomyopathy, its underlying causes, and whether you have other co-existing medical conditions.
A cardiomyopathy diagnosis may be made based on your symptoms and specific tests, including blood tests, chest X-ray, electrocardiography, or echocardiography. Genetic testing may help to uncover inheritable genetic factors contributing to certain forms of the disease such as hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy. Some forms of cardiomyopathy are best diagnosed with the help of cardiac MRI.
Adjusting your lifestyle habits is an important part of living well with cardiomyopathy, helping to relieve your symptoms and supporting the effectiveness of other treatments. Quitting smoking is beneficial for all aspects of heart health, as is a healthy diet. Your cardiologist may also recommend reducing your salt intake and alcohol consumption to lower your blood pressure and reduce the load on the heart.
Medication for cardiomyopathy can improve your symptoms, protect your heart function, and reduce your risk of complications. Such medicines include ACE inhibitors, diuretics, beta-blockers, and SGLT2 inhibitors to improve cardiac function and reduce heart failure. Diuretics can also reduce blood pressure as well as treat fluid accumulation and swelling in tissues. In some individuals, anti-arrhythmic medications are required.
A septal myectomy is a surgical procedure to open a passageway through the septum, encouraging blood to flow more freely. If you have arrhythmia associated with cardiomyopathy, implanting a pacemaker device can help to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest.
In severe cases, your cardiologist may recommend a heart transplant or an artificial heart pump known as a ventricular assist device.
At Harbourside Cardiology, our team is dedicated to providing holistic, patient-centred care that aligns with the most recent clinical guidelines and research. We are with you every step of your health journey, providing continuity of care of all heart conditions from initial assessment through to treatment and recovery.
