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Cardiomyopathy means "disease of the heart muscle." Cardiomyopathy damages the muscle tone of the heart and reduces its ability to pump blood to the rest of the body.Cardiomyopathy is so dangerous because it often goes unrecognized and untreated. Also, it is different from other heart problems because it frequently affects younger people.
Cardiomyopathy differs from many of the other disorders of the heart in several ways, including the following:
* Cardiomyopathy can, and often does, occur in the young.
* The condition tends to be progressive and sometimes worsens fairly quickly.
* It may be associated with diseases involving other organs, as well as the heart.
* Cardiomyopathy is a leading cause for heart transplantation.
There are two major categories of cardiomyopathy. When the heart muscle is damaged from heart attacks due to coronary artery disease that is called ISCHEMIC CARDIOMYOPATHY. The less common category of cardiomyopathy is NON ISCHEMIC. This category includes types of cardiomyopathy that are not related to coronary artery disease.
There are three main types of Non Ischemic Cardiomyopathy:
DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY – Damaged heart muscles lead to an enlarged, floppy heart. The heart stretches as it tries to compensate for weakened pumping ability.
HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY – Heart muscle fibers enlarge abnormally. The heart wall thickens, leaving less space for blood in the chambers. Since the heart does not relax correctly between beats, less blood fills the chamber and is pumped from the heart.
RESTRICTIVE CARDIOMYOPATHY – Portions of the heart wall become rigid and lose their flexibility. Thickening often occurs due to abnormal tissue invading the heart muscle.
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