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]
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 fluid is building up in your lungs.
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.
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)