Cardiomyopathy overview
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Cardiomyopathy Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Guidelines |
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2020 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy |
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Case Studies |
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Cardiomyopathy overview On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Cardiomyopathy overview |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Cardiomyopathy overview |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Cardiomyopathy is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium (i.e., the actual heart muscle) for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both.[1]
Classification
Cardiomyopathies can generally be categorized into two groups, (based on World Health Organization guidelines) extrinsic cardiomyopathies and intrinsic cardiomyopathies [2]. Cardiomyopathy can also be classified from a clinical standpoint, as to whether it is restrictive, dilated, or hypertrophic.
Causes
There is a very wide range of factors that can cause cardiomyopathy.
Diagnosis
Chest X Ray
A chest x ray also can show whether there is a pleural effusion as a result of the cardiomyopathy.
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Treatment depends on the type of cardiomyopathy, but may include medication, implanted pacemakers, defribillators, or ventricular assist devices (LVADs), or ablation. The goal of treatment is often symptom relief, and some patients may eventually require a heart transplant. Treatment of cardiomyopathy (and other heart diseases) using alternative methods such as stem cell therapy is commercially available but is not supported by convincing evidence.
Surgery
There are several types of surgery used to treat cardiomyopathy. They include septal ablation, septal myectomy, surgically implanted devices to improve the function of the heart, and heart transplant.
Preferences
- ↑ Kasper, Denis L.; et al. (2005). Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 16th edn. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-139140-1.
- ↑ Richardson, P.; et al. (1996). "Report of the 1995 World Health Organization/International Society and Federation of Cardiology Task Force on the Definition and Classification of cardiomyopathies". Circulation. 93 (5): 841–2. PMID 8598070. (Full text)