CARDIOMYOPATHY - Research Paper Example

Introduction Cardiomyopathy, also called heart muscle disease, is a progressive heart disease whereby the heart becomes unusually thickened, enlarged, and/or rigid, weakening the ability of the heart muscle to pump blood. This may lead to abnormal heart rhythms, blood backup into the lungs or other body parts, and heart failure. Cardiomyopathy generally starts in the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles), but in acute cases, it can affect the atria or the upper chambers (Maddox, 2012).

Causes/etiology There are different types of cardiomyopathy, and they have diverse causes: Dilated cardiomyopathy This is the commonest type of cardiomyopathy that affects the atria and ventricles of the heart. The etiology of this condition is often unknown, and scientists believe that over 50% of the cases are idiophatic and that roughly 30% result from infectious causes. These are the heart’s upper and lower chambers respectively. This condition usually begins in the main pumping chamber of the heart, the left ventricle.

It causes the dilation of the heart’s muscle, leading to the enlargement of the chamber. As the disease worsens, the problem extends to the right ventricle, followed by the atria. The heart’s muscle does not contract normally once the heart chambers dilate. Moreover, the heart is unable to pump blood properly, and eventually, the heart gets weaker and this can lead to heart failure. This condition can as well lead to blood clots in the heart, irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), and heart valve problems.

The condition is most common in men than women and it mostly occurs between the ages of 40-65 years (Nih.gov, 2011; Aghababian, 2010). Source: Mayoclinic.com (2012) Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) This is a condition whereby the heart muscle thickens, making it harder for the heart to pump blood. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is usually transmitted genetically. HCM is known to cause sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in youths, including youthful athletes. HCM also can impinge on the mitral valve of the heart, making blood to trickle backward via the valve.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may be either obstructive or non-obstructive and in both cases, the inside of the left ventricle becomes smaller due to the thickened muscle, such that it holds less blood. These transformations can increase blood pressure in the lungs’ blood vessels and in the ventricles. Changes also take place in the damaged heart muscle’s cells, which may upset the electrical signals of the heart and cause arrhythmias (Nih.gov, 2011). Source: Mayoclinic.com (2012) Ischemic cardiomyopathy The narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart is the main cause of this type of cardiomyopathy.

The heart’s walls become thin in such a way that they do not pump blood properly – blocked blood vessels leading to the heart muscle deprives oxygen to heart muscle cells making them fail to work properly (Aghababian, 2010) . Restrictive cardiomyopathy This comprises a group of ailments. The heart’s muscle becomes stiff and the heart’s chambers become incapable of filling with blood properly. Generally, this type of cardiomyopathy results from scarring of the heart due to an unidentified cause, and amyloidosis (Nih.gov, 2011).

Peripartum cardiomyopathy This type of cardio