MORE INFORMATION
Cardiomyopathy Types
There are many types of cardiomyopathy; which kind you have depends on the problem with your heart.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
This type of cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscle to become larger and thicker than normal. The thickened areas can block the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart), making it harder for the heart to pump blood.
Dilated cardiomyopathy
This is a common condition that happens when the ventricles in the heart weaken and get larger. The weakened ventricles don’t pump well, and this makes your heart work harder.
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy
This rare condition develops when fatty or scarred tissue replaces the normal muscle tissue in the right ventricle. This can cause an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy usually affects teens or young adults, and it raises the risk for cardiac arrest. In fact, it is the most common cause of sudden death in young people and in athletes.
Restrictive cardiomyopathy
This rare type of cardiomyopathy causes the ventricles to stiffen, but the walls of the heart do not thicken. Because of this, the ventricles don’t relax and don’t fill with enough blood to pump to the rest of the body. Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy is a rare type of restrictive cardiomyopathy that is more common in African-American men.
Left ventricular noncompaction
This rare type of cardiomyopathy occurs when the left ventricle develops muscle that is both smooth, as it should be, and loose, like a thick web. The loose muscle can extend into the left ventricle. This weakens the heart muscle and prevents the heart from pumping enough blood to the rest of the body.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome
This rare condition develops when extreme stress causes the heart muscle to stop working properly. This condition affects more women than men and is more common after menopause.