WHAT WENT WRONG?
The middle
layer of the heart wall that contains cardiac muscle (myocardium)
weakens and
stretches, causing the heart to lose its pumping strength and become
enlarged. The
heart remains functional; however, contractions are weak, resulting
in decreased
cardiac output. Most are idiopathic and not related to the major causes
of heart
disease. The three types of cardiomyopathy are:
1. Dilated
cardiomyopathy (common): The heart muscle thins and enlarges,
which leads to
congestive heart failure. Progressive hypertrophy and dilatation
result in
problems with pumping action of ventricles.
2.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: The ventricular heart muscle thickens, resulting
in outflow
obstruction or restriction. There is some blood flow present.
3. Restrictive
cardiomyopathy (rare): The heart muscle becomes stiff and restricts
blood from
filling ventricles, usually as a result of amyloidosis, radiation,
or myocardial
fibrosis after open-heart surgery.
