What is Cardiomyopathy in Adults?
There are many different types of heart conditions, including cardiomyopathy, which is one of the most common. This can be a genetic condition affecting infants at birth, but we are going to focus on cardiomyopathy in adults.
Cardiomyopathy covers a range of diseases that affect the heart, causing it to weaken, enlarge, thicken, or become rigid.
We’ll go over the different types of cardiomyopathy, the possible causes, and how it can be treated.
What are the Different Types of Cardiomyopathy?
There are several different types of cardiomyopathy and we’ll go over those that can affect adults.
Some of the main types of cardiomyopathy are:
- Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Restrictive cardiomyopathy
- Stress-induced cardiomyopathy
- Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy
Let’s take a look at each type of cardiomyopathy in depth so you’ll know the risks and symptoms to look for. If you notice any of the symptoms listed or if you have a higher risk factor for cardiomyopathy, make an appointment with your doctor to get your heart checked out.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD)
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD)occurs when muscle tissue dies and scars in the right ventricle, as the name suggests. This can lead to arrhythmias which can cause heart palpitations or fainting after physical exertion. ARVD is rare and primarily affects teens and young adults. When you hear of cases where a young, active person has suffered sudden cardiac arrest, it could be due to ARVD.
Possible Causes of ARVD
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is an inherited condition so you should check your family history.
Treatment Options for ARVD
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasiacannot be cured, like most other heart conditions, so the focus of treatment is to control the symptoms of arrhythmias and prevent possible heart failure. Medication is the most common treatment for ARVD, but if that proves to be ineffective, your doctor may recommend radiofrequency ablation or an implantable defibrillator (ICD).
Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)occurs when the heart muscle starts to dilate, stretch out, and become thinner. The disease spreads from the left ventricle to the right and your heart starts to struggle with pumping blood efficiently. This can lead to heart failure, arrhythmias, blood clots, and heart valve issues. DCM mainly affects people between the ages of 20 and 60.
Possible Causes of DCM
Dilated cardiomyopathycan be inherited. Nearly one-third of people with the condition have inherited it. However, there is a wide range of other possible causes for dilated cardiomyopathy including excessive alcohol consumption, other heart conditions, infections, pregnancy-related complications, illegal drug usage, and some cancer medications.
Treatment Options for DCM
Dilated cardiomyopathytreatment may be aimed at the underlying cause if your doctor has narrowed that down. Otherwise, the focus will be on increasing blood flow and mitigating heart damage. A combination of medications may be prescribed as well as an implantable device like a biventricular pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). If medications and implantable devices are not effective, you may need to consider a heart transplant.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)occurs when abnormal genes in the heart cause the walls of the left ventricle to contract harder, becoming thickened and stiff. This can make it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. HCM does not always present with symptoms, especially early on. After some time, you may notice chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, fatigue, arrhythmias, faintness, and swelling in the lower half of the body. HCM can affect you at any age but is most often discovered in middle age. This condition is the most common reason for sudden cardiac arrest in young, active people — even more so than ARVD.
Possible Causes of HCM
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathyprimarily an inherited condition.
Treatment Options for HCM
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathytreatment varies based on your symptoms. Emphasis is put on alleviating symptoms, so medications are given to help slow a rapid heart rate and encourage better blood flow. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may recommend an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or a surgical procedure such as a septal ablation or septal myectomy.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Restrictive cardiomyopathyoccurs when scar tissue in the heart causes rigidity in the ventricles. This can affect the amount of blood flow through the heart, leading to arrhythmias or heart failure. This condition mainly affects older adults.
Possible Causes of Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Restrictive cardiomyopathyis mainly caused by diseases and other conditions such as amyloidosis, hemochromatosis, sarcoidosis, connective tissue disorders, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Treatment Options for Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Restrictive cardiomyopathytreatment will be geared toward the underlying cause, if known. Medications will be given to address symptoms but if they’re not effective, your doctor may suggest a heart transplant.
Stress-Induced Cardiomyopathy
Stress-induced cardiomyopathyis also referred to as broken heart syndrome. If you experience a sudden, intensely stressful event, your heart muscle can become overwhelmed by the rush of adrenaline and start to quickly weaken from the decreased blood flow. This can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and sweating. While this can happen to anyone at any age, postmenopausal women are the most susceptible.
Possible Causes of Stress-Induced Cardiomyopathy
Stress-induced cardiomyopathyis most frequently caused by a sudden stressful event, whether emotional or physical, although some people don’t recall any particular stressor preceding their stress-induced cardiomyopathy. The most common causes of this condition are strong emotions like fear, anger, or grief, or physical stressors like excessive blood loss, stroke, seizure, high fever, shortness of breath, or even low blood sugar.
Treatment Options for Stress-Induced Cardiomyopathy
Stress-induced cardiomyopathyis a little trickier when it comes to treatment. Your doctor may just prescribe a standard heart failure medication to help prevent a reoccurrence and recommend that you practice relaxation techniques to alleviate stress.
Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)
Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)is one of the trickier types of cardiomyopathy since it’s underdiagnosed and can be fatal. This occurs when amyloid protein deposits on the heart walls cause them to stiffen, affecting the heart’s ability to pump out blood efficiently. This can cause shortness of breath, swelling in the lower extremities, heart palpitations, and disorientation. ATTR-CM can affect anyone age 20 and up, although males over age 50 are the most diagnosed with this condition.
Possible Causes of ATTR-CM
Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathycan be hereditary. However, some people are more prone to having an ATTR-CM, particularly males, African Americans, and people over age 50.
Treatment Options for ATTR-CM
Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathycan be related to issues with your liver so that is often the focus of treatment. Your doctor may prescribe medications to manage the symptoms as well as a medication designed for the treatment of ATTR-CM. In some cases, both a liver and a heart transplant may be recommended.
Summary
Now you know about the different types of cardiomyopathy and what can cause each. You also know the signals your body may be sending out to tell you that it needs some additional support for your cardiovascular health. You’ve seen how each type is treated so you’ll know what to expect if it turns out you have cardiomyopathy. Your doctor may also recommend a heart-healthy diet and appropriate exercise to help alleviate or prevent some of the symptoms of cardiomyopathy.
While a healthy diet and lifestyle are extremely helpful for a strong cardiovascular system, it’s important to seek out professional care if the problem persists. If you’re experiencing symptoms of poor cardiovascular health that don’t respond to diet and lifestyle changes, contact us today to book an appointment.
