Cardiomyopathy Definition, Cardiomyopathy Types and Causes

Cardiomyopathy: Cardiomyopathy is a weakening of the heart muscle or a change in heart muscle structure. It is often associated with inadequate heart pumping or other heart function problems.

Common types of cardiomyopathy include:
Specific Cardiomyopathies:

• Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
• Coronary artery disease
• Congenital heart disease
• Nutritional diseases affecting the heart
• Ischemic (or ischaemic) cardiomyopathy
• Hypertensive cardiomyopathy
• Valvular cardiomyopathy
• Inflammatory cardiomyopathy
• Cardiomyopathy secondary to a systemic metabolic disease
• Myocardiodystrophy

Intrinsic Cardiomyopathies – weakness in muscle of heart that is not due to an identifiable external cause.

• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) – most common form, and one of the leading indications for heart transplantation. In DCM the heart (especially the left ventricle) is enlarged and the pumping function is diminished.
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM or HOCM) – genetic disorder caused by various mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins. In HCM the heart muscle is thickened, which can obstruct blood flow and prevent the heart from functioning properly.
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) – arises from an electrical disturbance of the heart in which heart muscle is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. The right ventricle is generally most affected.
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) – least common cardiomyopathy. The walls of the ventricles are stiff, but may not be thickened, and resist the normal filling of the heart with blood.
• Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy – the left ventricle wall has failed to properly grow from birth and such has a spongy appearance when viewed during an echocardiogram.

Common causes of cardiomyopathy are:
Alcoholism and Cocaine use
Amyloidosis
Chemotherapy drugs
Coronary artery disease
End-stage kidney disease
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Infections due to viruses, HIV, Lyme disease, Chagas disease
Nutritional deficiencies (such as selenium, thiamine, calcium)
Pregnancy
Systemic lupus erythematosus