So…what is a “cardiomyopathy”?
The term cardiomyopathy refers to disease of the heart muscle. There are many types and many causes, signs, symptoms, and treatments.
Here are the 5 types of cardiomyopathies.
1. Dilated
-Most common cardiomyopathy – reduced contraction strength, large heart, systolic dysfunction
-Etiology: Genetics, excess alcohol, postpartum, chemotherapy, endocrine disorders
-Physical exam: Dyspnea, S3 gallop, rales, jugular venous distentiion
2. Hypertrophic
-A portion of the septum is hypertrophic.
-Young athlete with positive family history suddenly dies or has syncope
-High pitched mid systolic murmur at LLSB, INCREASED with valsalva and standing (less blood in chamber), decreased with squatting (more blood in chamber)
3. Restrictive
-RV heart failure with history of infiltrative process-stiff ventricles
-Amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis, scleroderma, fibrosis, cancer
4. Arrythmogenic RV dysplasia
-rare type of cardiomyopathy that occurs when the muscle tissue in the right ventricle is replaced with fatty or fibrous tissue. This can lead to disruptions in the heart’s electrical signals and causes arrhythmias. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia usually affects teens or young adults and can cause sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.
5. Unclassified
-Left ventricular noncompaction happens when the left ventricle has trabeculations, projections of muscle inside the ventricle.
-Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome, happens when extreme stress leads to heart muscle failure. Though rare, this condition is more common in post-menopausal women.
DISCLAIMER: I am just a research assistant with ambitions to become a PA. I’m not a medical professional, and this is not advice. This is just a place where I can dump the topics that I study independently.
References:
Cardiomyopathy – Types of Cardiomyopathy. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/node/4042. Accessed April 24, 2018.
