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Cardiomyopathy
Everything you need to know
Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscles (myocardium) that are responsible for the heart’s ability to pump blood that are associated with functional and structural abnormalities, like heart growth or the interruption in the ability for the heart to pump blood.
- Many people do not have any symptoms when they get cardiomyopathy, which has resulted in it being perceived as uncommon. Yet, it is more common than it is generally given credit for. It should be taken seriously, as many cases of cardiomyopathy progress into chronic heart failure.
- The prognosis of most cardiomyopathies is not great, and its causes are very often out of the hands of the patients (e.g., genetics). Treatment, therefore, is tiered towards reducing the severity of symptoms and increasing the lifespan of the patient.
- For the cases that are preventable, a heart-healthy lifestyle of exercise, nutritious eating, and stress reduction is a sure-fire way to do your best in preventing the development of cardiomyopathy.
Introduction
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing about 647,000 Americans to die each year. About 30.3 million Americans are diagnosed with heart disease each year. Generally speaking, the leading cause of heart disease is lifestyle factors (e.g. poor nutrition, being sedentary, and smoking).
One of the less common variations of heart disease is called cardiomyopathy. Despite the fact that cardiomyopathy is not as common as other varieties of cardiovascular disease, while it is generally said that in adults its prevalence is 1 in 2500, due to it frequently going undiagnosed and due to it contributing to a substantial amount of sudden deaths, it could be that its prevalence in adults is around 1 in 500. Indeed, even 50% of patients in childhood or adolescence that die suddenly are affected by cardiomyopathies.
Thus, despite its official designation as being common, but not too common, it is essential to give it the time of day, as many people might be suffering from it without even knowing it.
