Essay On Cardiomyopathy

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Dilated Cardiomyopathy

(Slide 2) What is Cardiomyopathy? If we break down the word we can see “Cardio” which means of the heart, “myo” which means muscle, and “pathy” which means disease, therefore cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle. (Slide 3) There are 3 main types of cardiomyopathies; hypertrophic, dilated, and restrictive. I will only be discussing dilated cardiomyopathy, which is characterized by the enlargement of the hearts chambers with impaired systolic function. It is estimated that as many as 1 of 500 adults may have this condition. Dilated cardiomyopathy is more common in blacks than in whites and in males than in females. It is the most common form of cardiomyopathy in children and it can occur at any age (CDC). …show more content…

Most often the disease starts in the left ventricle, and then often spreads to both the atrium and right ventricle as well. Usually there will also be mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, due to the dilation of the annuli. This regurgitation will continue to make problems worse by adding excessive volume and pressure to the atria, which is what then causes them to dilate. Once the atria become dilated it often leads to atrial fibrillation. As the volume load increases the ventricles become more dilated and over time the myocytes become weakened and cannot contract as they should. As you might have guessed with the progressive myocyte degeneration, there is a reduction in cardiac output which then may present as signs of heart failure (Lily).
(Slide 5) Dilated cardiomyopathies results from a wide spectrum of genetic, inflammatory, toxic, and metabolic causes. However, at least 750,000 of the over 300 million U.S. population are likely to have idiopathic (ie: the cause is unknown) dilated cardiomyopathy (Hershberger). (Slide 6) Although many cases are currently classified as idiopathic, some examples of known causes include specific gene mutations, chronic excessive alcohol ingestion and other recreational drug use, chemotherapy, pregnancy, and viral myocarditis …show more content…

Alcohol consumption will need to be discontinued, especially if this is a cause. Moderate exercise should be encouraged within the limitations of the patient (Bennett). Medical treatment is generally aimed at relieving symptoms of heart failure and improving cardiac output. Patients are often given medications such as ACE inhibitors and Beta-blockers. Antiarrhythmic drugs, implantable defibrillators, and pacemakers are other treatments used for dilated cardiomyopathy patients. Anticoagulants are also an important treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy patients due to the increased risk of developing thrombus from poor systolic function, atrial fibrillation, and poor circulatory flow. Cardiac transplantation is another treatment option but heart donors are very limited (Lily).
Dilated cardiomyopathy accounts for approximately 15% of heart failure cases in the under 75s (“Chronic Heart Failure”). Patients with Dilated cardiomyopathy are usually unaware of the disease until they experience the signs and symptoms of heart failure or they develop an arrhythmia.
In conclusion it is important to remember that dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common form of cardiomyopathy. There are a variety of acknowledged triggers but often the cause of the dilated cardiomyopathy is unknown. Early identification of the disease aids in proper medical care and may

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