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Overview
Cardiomyopathy is a general term for diseases of the heart muscle, where the walls of the heart chambers have become stretched, thickened or stiff. This affects the heart's ability to pump blood around the body.
Causes
Most types of cardiomyopathy are inherited. It can also be caused by other conditions, or risk factors, but for some people the cause is unknown. Cardiomyopathy can affect people of all ages.
Diagnosis
Some cases of cardiomyopathy can be diagnosed after various heart scans and tests, such as:
- electrocardiogram (ECG)
- echocardiogram
- MRI scan
- heart rhythm monitor (24 or 48-hour ECG monitor)
- exercise tests
- a detailed family tree drawn by specialists may be required for the diagnosis of a cardiomyopathy
If you've been diagnosed with an inherited type of cardiomyopathy, you may be advised to have a genetic test to identify the faulty gene (mutation) that caused this.
Your relatives can then be tested for the same mutation and, if they have it, their condition can be monitored and managed early.
Treatment Options
There's usually no cure for cardiomyopathy, but the treatments can be effective at controlling symptoms and preventing complications. Some types of cardiomyopathy have specific treatments and early diagnosis is very important.
Not everyone with cardiomyopathy will need treatment. Some people only have a mild form of the condition they can control after making a few lifestyle changes.
Lifestyle changes
Whether the cause of cardiomyopathy is genetic or not, it should generally help to:
- eat a healthy diet and do gentle exercise
- quit smoking (if you smoke)
- lose weight (if you're overweight)
- avoid or reduce your intake of alcohol
- get plenty of sleep (as well as diagnose and treat any underlying sleep apnoea)
- manage stress
- make sure any underlying condition, such as diabetes, is well controlled
Medicines
Medicines may be needed to control blood pressure, correct an abnormal heart rhythm, remove excess fluid or prevent blood clots.
Hospital procedures
In some people with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the wall dividing the left and right side of the heart (septum) is thickened and bulges into the main heart chamber. They may need to have either:
- an injection of alcohol into their heart – this is to reduce part of the muscle in the septum
- a septal myectomy – heart surgery to remove part of the thickened septum (the mitral valve may be repaired at the same time, if necessary)
Those with heart rhythm problems may need to have arrhythmia ablation. This treatment carefully alters the diseased heart tissue that causes the heart rhythm problems.
Or they may have a device implanted, such as:
- a pacemaker to regulate the heart rate
- an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to prevent a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm
As a last resort, a heart transplant may be necessary.
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