What is Cardiomyopathy and How does it affect me or the people around me?

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Cardiomyopathy (kahr-dee-o-my-op-uh-thee) is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it difficult for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body, leading to heart failure. 

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Cardiomyopathy is one of the most common cardiac genetic disorders, and is well known for its tragic outcomes—the sudden cardiac death (SCD) of young athletes, many of whom are in high school or college.

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Cardiomyopathy can be inherited, or developed due to another heart disease, such as myocardial infarction (heart attacks). It can also lead to other heart problems such as valve problems, cardiac arrest, heart failure, and blood clots. Some symptoms are fatigue, swelling of feet and legs, breathlessness, rapid, pounding, or fluttering heartbeats, coughing while lying down, chest pressure, and dizziness.  

There are 3 main types of cardiomyopathy: dilated, hypertrophic, and restricive. To learn more about each one go to their individual pages. [link here]

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*See your doctor if you have one or more signs or symptoms associated with cardiomyopathy. Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have severe difficulty breathing, fainting or chest pain that lasts for more than a few minutes.