What is the cause of cardiomyopathy?
Viral infections in the heart are a major cause of cardiomyopathy. In some cases, another disease or its treatment causes cardiomyopathy. This might include complex congenital (present at birth) heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, uncontrollable, fast heart rhythms, or certain types of chemotherapy for cancer.
What is the most common treatment for cardiomyopathy?
Treatment options for cardiomyopathy
- Lifestyle changes. Stopping alcohol use. Monitoring salt intake.
- Medicines. Lower blood pressure.
- Surgically implanted device that helps maintain proper heart rhythm.
- Ablation procedure. Removes extra heart tissue to reduce thickening.
- Heart transplant (for a severely damaged heart)
Is dilated cardiomyopathy life threatening?
Dilated cardiomyopathy might not cause symptoms, but for some people it can be life-threatening. It’s a common cause of heart failure. Dilated cardiomyopathy can also lead to irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), blood clots or sudden death. The condition can affect anyone, including infants and children.
How serious is cardiomyopathy?
Cardiomyopathy is a serious condition. Without treatment, it can be life-threatening. Cardiomyopathy is also a progressive condition, meaning it usually worsens over time. Cardiomyopathy treatment can improve your outlook.
What is the life expectancy of a person with cardiomyopathy?
The majority of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have no symptoms and most have a near-normal life expectancy. In some cases, sudden cardiac death is the first symptom of the illness. Patients who have symptoms at a younger age often have higher mortality rates.
Can you recover from dilated cardiomyopathy?
Although the long term prognosis of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains poor, approximately 25% of DCM patients with recent onset of heart failure (< 6 months) have a relatively benign clinical course with a spontaneously improvement in symptoms and partial, or in some cases complete, recovery of left …
How long can I live with cardiomyopathy?
With proper care, many people can live long and full lives with a cardiomyopathy diagnosis. When recommending treatment, we always consider the least invasive approach first. Options range from lifestyle support and medications to implantable devices, procedures, and surgeries.