Cardiomyopathies

Cardiomyopathies are disorders of the heart muscle that are not caused by coronary artery disease, increased blood pressure or problems with the heart’s valves.  They include:

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Arrythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
Left Ventricular Non-compaction (LVNC)
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

Severity and symptoms of inherited cardiomyopathies can range from mild to severe: not everyone has symptoms, but if present, they can include palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain and fainting. In rare cases, cardiomyopathies can cause sudden death.

Most people with an inherited cardiomyopathy do not suffer troublesome ongoing symptoms, but should normally have regular medical surveillance because many of the problems that can occur are treatable or preventable.

More information on Inherited Cardiomyopathies is available from the Cardiomyopathy Association.