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Cardiomyopathy
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Cardiomyopathy is the name for diseases of the myocardium, which is the heart muscle. It is not one disease but a very varied group, and what they have in common is where the damage happens: in the wall that contracts, not in the arteries or the valves.
What changes is the wall itself. In some cardiomyopathies the muscle enlarges; in others it becomes thicker and stiffer than normal, and in rare cases muscle tissue is replaced by scar tissue, which is repair tissue and does not contract. The problem is not in the plumbing, it is in the wall that does the pushing.
And since that wall is what pumps, in some people the heart is left less able to move blood through the body. It does not happen to everyone: some people live long, healthy lives.
In brief
Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases of the myocardium, the heart muscle.
These diseases enlarge the heart muscle or make it thicker and stiffer than normal, and in rare cases scar tissue replaces muscle tissue.
The problem is not in the plumbing, it is in the wall that does the pushing.
In some people this leaves the heart less able to pump blood, while others live long, healthy lives.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingCardiomyopathy Imaging, StatPearlsPublished
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineCardiomyopathy, MedlinePlusPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated