Cardiomyopathy

Overview

Cardiomyopathy is a condition that directly affects the heart muscle. The cardiac muscle is responsible for the blood pumping job and accounts for the contractility of the heart. Cardiomyopathy weakens the muscular heart wall which makes their contraction difficult. Thus, the heart muscles cannot exert the adequate force required to supply enough blood to the rest of the body. As a result, typical human metabolic needs are not met effectively.

There are different types of cardiomyopathy and symptoms of each differ from one another. Types may overlap as people can be affected by two or more types at once. This condition can be caused by a combined effect of different other disorders. A single isolated cause may or may not be pinpointed. So, prompt treatment is an absolute necessity, to minimise the adverse effect of this condition.

What is Cardiomyopathy?

Cardiomyopathy is a disease that affects the myocardium i.e. heart chambers’ muscular wall, reducing its ability to function properly. This condition may be inherited or acquired. Depending on the type of cardiomyopathy one is suffering from, the heart can get enlarged, thickened or stiffened.

This condition causes the muscular walls of the heart to become less efficient. Hence, it becomes difficult for them to support the delivery of blood to different parts of the body. In extreme cases, the condition can lead to heart failure or pose other life-threatening challenges to the patient.

Types of Cardiomyopathy

Here are the types of cardiomyopathy people get diagnosed with:

Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy results from the enlargement of the heart's left ventricle, which is the main pumping source of blood. It can be the after-effect of damage caused by a heart attack, or it can be a genetic problem.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy results in thickening of certain parts of the heart, especially the lower chambers and ventricles. The left ventricle also experiences a stiffening sensation. While it can cause serious issues in some, most diagnosed people can live a normal, healthy life with proper treatment underway.

Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Ischemic cardiomyopathy may occur due to damage caused to the heart muscle by coronary artery disease. Damaged muscular walls of the heart become weak and are unable to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Damage caused to the heart muscle too is caused by a lack of oxygen-rich blood to it.

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia

Caused by a genetic mutation, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is a rare condition where fibrous tissue/fat piling up in the right ventricle weakens the heart muscle. This causes the ventricle to thin out and contract poorly.

Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

Restrictive cardiomyopathy causes reduced blood flow to the heart. With the heart's lower chambers’ muscle tissues becoming stiff, the ventricles are not able to fill up with enough blood - hence, leading to the condition.

Transthyretin Amyloidosis

Abnormal liver-produced proteins known as fibrils clog up the heart’s pumping chamber, causing the left ventricle to become stiff and weak. This causes difficulty for the heart muscle to pump blood to other parts of the body, often posing the risk of heart failure.

Broken Heart Syndrome

Broken heart syndrome occurs immediately after a physically or emotionally taxing event. It causes the heart muscle to become weak and feel tightened. However, it's a short-term phenomenon and can be easily cured with the right medication.

Cardiotoxicity

Side effects of cancer treatment may include heart damage, and such a condition is referred to as cardiotoxicity. It causes difficulty for the heart muscle to efficiently pump blood to the rest of the body. Cardiotoxicity may develop years after the cancer treatment regime is complete.

Alcohol-induced Cardiomyopathy

As the name suggests, this type of cardiomyopathy results from heavy indulgence in alcohol. It causes the heart to change shape, likely to lead to heart failure in some cases. While detoxing from alcohol can help, some individuals may require additional treatment to cure the disease.

Left Ventricular Non-compaction Cardiomyopathy (LVNC)

LVNC is a rare condition that affected individuals are born with. The efficient pumping of blood throughout the body is obstructed due to the lower-left heart chamber not being fully developed.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

Another rare condition where the heart muscle is weakened, peripartum cardiomyopathy, may occur in pregnant women in their last month of pregnancy or 5 months post-delivery.

Symptoms of Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy symptoms across different types tend to be similar. The commonly recorded symptoms include heart palpitations, chest pain, and arrhythmia. Shortness of breath known as dyspnea is also widely felt among patients, owing to the chest-region feeling jammed or tightened. The feeling of extreme tiredness and fatigue in combination with other symptoms, like swelling of the legs or ankles, termed oedema also serve as prominent signs of cardiomyopathy.

Causes of Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy can be inherited from parents as genetic mutations can often lead to this condition. Some other common causes of the condition include coronary artery disease which obstructs the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. Diabetes, heart inflammation, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis, and amyloidosis are also recorded causes of the disease.
Infections of the heart muscle, thyroid and high-cholesterol diseases can lead to some types of cardiomyopathy. While any of the above-mentioned causes could be a problem, experts have admitted that in some cases the cause is undetectable.

Risk Factors of Cardiomyopathy

Persons with a history of heart attacks run the risk of developing cardiomyopathy. A history of cardiac arrests within the family too, can put an individual at risk of developing the condition. Long-term, unregulated consumption of alcohol may be risky if one wants to steer clear of the dangers of cardiomyopathy.

Pregnant women, obese people (BMI above 30), individuals with long-term high-pressure issues and people who’ve undergone chemotherapy/radiation are more prone to developing weakened heart conditions. Finally, a traumatic situation can cause high stress levels putting the individual at risk of cardiomyopathy.

Diagnosis of Cardiomyopathy

Healthcare professionals analyse the patient’s medical history and also take into account the associated family’s health reports, and even conduct a physical exam. Some of the common cardiomyopathy diagnostic tests include heart MRI, cardiac CT, echocardiogram, ambulatory monitoring, chest X-ray, blood tests, exercise stress test, and myocardial biopsy, among others.

Treatment of Cardiomyopathy

The treatment depends on the type of cardiomyopathy the patient is diagnosed with. Its severity shall call for surgical procedures and in some cases, a heart transplant. In most types of cardiomyopathy, there are several treatment options to help manage the disease or slow down its progression, but not completely cure it. Depending on the degree of lack of oxygen-rich blood reaching the heart muscle, treatment may range from medication to surgery.

Preventive Measures for Cardiomyopathy

No sure-shot preventative measures can be undertaken to avoid the inheritance of cardiomyopathy, but individuals can still try. A healthy lifestyle can minimise the chances of developing acquired cardiomyopathy types and in some cases, reduce the risks of inheriting the condition. For example, getting enough sleep, exercising daily, eating healthy foods, and keeping stress levels regulated can help. An additional measure would be to bring any other conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, under control. Finally, avoid developing a habit of alcohol consumption and say ‘no’ to addictive, hard substances.

Myths and Facts Related to Cardiomyopathy

Below are some popularly believed myths associated with cardiomyopathy below, and subsequent facts busting them:

Myth 1: I’m Too Young to Worry About Cardiomyopathy
Fact: There is no right age at which one should start leading a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a proper diet, getting enough sleep and keeping other diseases in control from an early age can help avoid cardiomyopathy in the long run.

Myth 2: I’m Safe from Cardiomyopathy because There is No History of it in My Family
Fact: While cardiomyopathy is genetically inherited in some cases, it can also be acquired during a person’s lifetime. So, upon noticing the symptoms, one must consider visiting a healthcare professional for further guidance.

Myth 3: Lifestyle Has Nothing to Do with Cardiomyopathy
Fact: The way an individual leads their life can greatly decrease/increase any risks of developing cardiomyopathy. A healthy lifestyle characterised by a balanced diet, alcohol-free and drug-free-living; proactive action to regulate diabetes, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure levels, etc. will help avoid heart diseases.

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