CARDIOMYOPATHY

Arianna Alfano

Human Biology (G) | January 3, 2019

 The cardiovascular system is an incredibly complex unit of organs that is responsible for

a plethora of functions that allow for the proper functioning of the human body and, overall,

well-being of each individual. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the heart’s condition is of

the utmost importance when evaluating the health of an individual. Unfortunately, there is a

multitude of existing conditions which weaken the health of the heart. Specifically,

cardiomyopathy is among one of the most common malfunctions of the cardiovascular system.

Being that there are over 200,000 cases each year in the United States alone, it definitely can be

said that this disease is a serious condition which plagues an abundance of people. More so,

being that it is categorized into a number of subgroups, such as dilated, hypertrophic, and

restrictive cardiomyopathy, this disease is certainly widespread and affects a vast sum of

individuals differently. Therefore, understanding this disease, how it comes about in human

beings, the warning signs of its presence, the ways in which sufferers can protect themselves

from the onset of this awful happening, as well as the current treatments available for it are all

incredibly important to the individual as well as researchers who hope to find ways to further

heal and prevent this terrible illness.

Cardiomyopathy, in its most basic sense, is a disease which afflicts the myocardium of

suffers. Essentially, due to malfunction of the heart muscle, there is an inability to effectively

pump blood from the heart to the rest of the body—making it quite difficult for the individual to

lead a normal, active life. Being that cardiomyopathy in itself has such a vague description, the

categories in which it is divided allow for a more specific understanding of the way in which the

heart muscle has been affected. Primarily, the complexity of this disease and how an individual

is affected is solely correlated with which category of the illness they are diagnosed. For

instance, dilated cardiomyopathy is defined by its characteristic enlarged, dilated left ventricle

which does not allow for blood to be pumped out of the heart effectively. While the most

common subtype of this disease, dilated cardiomyopathy is not the only harmful, potentially
deadly variation of this heart muscle illness. In fact, another form of cardiomyopathy is

hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which seems to affect the heart in the opposite manner as does

dilated cardiomyopathy. In the case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an individual’s heart will

develop an unusually thick ventricular septum. As does the dilation of the heart in dilated

cardiomyopathy, the thickening, also, makes it especially difficult for the heart to pump a

sufficient quantity of blood out to the other parts of the body. Finally, and least similar to the

rest, restrictive cardiomyopathy is, in the most basic sense, the myocardium becoming too rigid

to pump blood well. When the ventricles are unable to relax normally and the atria, therefore,

become enlarged, there is an inadequate amount of blood being pushed into the heart in between

heartbeats—translating to not enough blood being transferred throughout the body. While

different in the ways in which it affects the heart, each of these remains the same in that they all

have the common symptom of an ineffective amount of blood streaming from the heart due to

fault in the myocardium. However, even with this similarity, the reasons why the disease may

come about—the causes of cardiomyopathy—are all varying and directly reliant on which

variation of the disease one may have obtained.

The causes of cardiomyopathy are differing based on type and, often, not recognized at

the time of the diagnosis. However, with recent research, there have been some conclusions

drawn as to why this awful cardiovascular disease manifests in some individuals. In the cases of

dilated cardiomyopathy, about 1/3 of those affected by the disease, unfortunately, inherited it

from their parents, but this is not the only cause for this sort of weakening of the heart muscle. In

fact, while it has been found that about 33.3% of individuals are affected due to their genes, the

other 66.6% have more control in the circumstance of whether or not they acquire this illness.

Specifically, in the case of dilated cardiomyopathy, alcohol, toxins, and certain illegal drugs tend

to afflict the heart muscle—allowing for this disease to come about. As it is commonly known,

toxins, which include alcohol and illegal substances, have a pernicious effect on the cells of the
body. Considering the heart is a muscle composed of cells, it, too, is affected by these harmful

substances. Thus, due to the long-term abuse of these substances, the heart will slowly become

more dilated and less effective in performing its job, which allows for the diagnosis of dilated

cardiomyopathy. Aside from this, it has also been found that dilated cardiomyopathy correlates

with other illnesses, especially those which affect the heart, such as coronary heart disease, heart

attack, and diabetes. As with toxins, poor diet, which often causes these diseases, affects all the

organs and can be somewhat toxic to the body—meaning that in order to decrease one’s risk of

this disease, one should certainly try to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Finally, and most

surprisingly, complications in pregnancy is one of the few ways in which one can acquire this

heart disease. Throughout the course of a pregnancy, the mother’s heart pumps approximately

50% more blood than it normally would. This, in combination with other risk factors to the heart,

puts excess strain on the organ—allowing for dilated cardiomyopathy to develop. Similarly,

restricted cardiomyopathy tends to occur in individuals who have connective tissue disorders and

a realm of diseases which allow for buildup or inflammation of the organs, which makes the

ventricles more restricted in movement and less able to perform their jobs to the fullest extent.

Finally, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is almost purely inherited. Often, it has been found, that a

mutation taking place in the heart muscle protein’s genes are at fault; however, diseases such as

diabetes or health concerns such as high blood pressure can also be to blame. Thus, there are a

wide variety of reasons as to why one may inherit or acquire this awful disease, but the

symptoms a person will experience as a result does not vary as much when considering the

different types of cardiomyopathy.

In fact, it is true that regardless of the subtype with which an individual may be

diagnosed, individual sufferers tend to experience the same, if any, physical symptoms of the

disease. As a whole, cardiomyopathy may cause an individual to feel as though they cannot catch

their breath, experience chest pain, or feel fatigued or faint, especially after exerting themselves.
Similarly, those with any type of cardiomyopathy are likely to have the symptoms of dizziness

and lightheadedness. This is associated with the basis that, regardless of the type of

cardiomyopathy with which an individual is diagnosed, the heart has a lessened ability to push

out an adequate amount of blood to all the body parts. Through lessened blood being pumped to

the other parts of the body, an individual may not be getting enough oxygen to their muscles and

such, allowing for these symptoms to arise. Sufferers may also have the symptom of swelling in

their extremities—including their ankles, feet, legs, and abdomens—and their veins in their

necks. Being that the cardiovascular system is the transport system of the body, it is necessary

for this system to be functioning accurately in order to regulate fluids in humans. As a result of

its malfunction, fluid builds up in these areas and, unfortunately, causes such swelling. Aside

from these symptoms, conditions such as arrhythmias and heart murmurs may arise in these

individuals. Due to the changes in the structure and ability of the heart, the heart may begin to

pump irregularly in some people. As well, obstructions in the heart due to these changes can

allow for a stethoscope to pick up abnormal sounds. Finally, in the late stages of this disease,

when the heart is at its weakest point, heart failure can occur. Fortunately, there are ways to both

protect oneself from this awful illness as well as treat it if one becomes affected by it.

While, as it has already been established, many cases of cardiomyopathy are a result of

hereditary factors, there are some ways in which one can lower his/ her risk of this condition.

Being that cardiomyopathy is sometimes a result of underlying conditions, such as high blood

pressure, going to physicals regularly, following a healthy diet tailored to one’s pre-existing

conditions, as well as taking one’s medications as often as is prescribed are all important in

preventing certain factors to arise which could lead to cardiomyopathy. As well, leading a

healthy lifestyle—free of drug and alcohol abuse—are a means of preventing the onset of this

disease. Essentially, treating the body “like a temple,” and taking actions to ensure heart health

are extremely important when attempting to prevent the emergence of cardiovascular diseases,
especially cardiomyopathy. Consequently, the treatment of this illness is quite similar to the

precautions one might take to prevent it. Among one of the few ways cardiomyopathy is treated

includes making changes to one’s lifestyle. If an individual is leading a relatively unhealthy life,

which is attributing to conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure to arise, a solution to

help manage the condition causing the cardiomyopathy is to follow a healthy diet and lead a life

with more physical activity. Through maintaining a healthy BMI, eating clean, and, if permitted

by a doctor, exercising more frequently, the effects of cardiomyopathy can be, subsequently,

treated. Similarly, through quitting smoking, drugs, and alcohol, attaining further treatment for

underlying conditions, and taking steps to reduce stress, there is less strain on the heart, and,

therefore, a means of treatment for this illness. Aside from lifestyle changes, however, treatments

such as medications are, also, often prescribed by doctors to allow for lessened effects of

cardiomyopathy. Being that the impact of cardiomyopathy is an inability of the heart to pump an

adequate amount of blood to the other parts of the body, a doctor is likely to prescribe

medication improve the heart's ability to pump blood, improve blood flow, lower blood pressure

of a patient, slow a patient’s heart rate, cause excess fluid to be excreted from the body, or

prevent the formation of blood. Finally, an array of surgical and nonsurgical procedures can be

performed in pursuit of treating cardiomyopathy. For instance, if a person has obstructive

hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a doctor may consider a specific type of open-heart surgery, septal

myectomy, in order to allow for better blood flow within the heart and to the other parts of the

body. Additionally, devices such as pacemakers or LVAD’s may be surgically implanted to

allow for a patient’s heart to beat at a normal rate and better pump blood to the body. In extreme

cases, a heart transplant may even be considered for a patient who is not responding well to other

treatments. Finally, regarding nonsurgical procedures, septal ablation or radiofrequency ablation

may be performed by doctors to treat a sufferer’s cardiomyopathy. In both of these procedures, a

section of the heart is destroyed to allow for better blood flow and normalized heart rhythm.
Thus, while cardiomyopathy is, in many cases, hereditary, there are some measures individuals

can take to prevent the disease as well as a number of treatment options for those afflicted.

Overall, the cardiovascular system is an incredibly complex and important aspect of the

human body, and its proper functioning is absolutely necessary for every individual to survive

and thrive. Unfortunately, when diseases begin to afflict the heart, individuals suffer tremendous

consequences. In the case of cardiomyopathy, especially, the heart’s inability to properly pump

out enough blood to the rest of the body is detrimental to those affected. Whether hereditary or as

a result of lifestyle choices, this disease affects hundreds of thousands of people in the United

States alone and is multifaceted—being broken up into categories of dilated, hypertrophic, and

restrictive cardiomyopathy, based on what causes the heart to malfunction. Regardless of the

type, however, cardiomyopathy as a whole allows for the severe symptoms of faintness, chest

pain, swelling of the extremities, and even heart failure to take place within suffers. Thus, ideally

one would like to protect themselves from this disease and, if necessary, seek treatment if

suffering. Fortunately, while not technically curable, cardiomyopathy is both preventable in

some individuals and has a wide variety of treatment options for those afflicted. Through healthy

lifestyle choices, one can easily allow for a lessened risk of this horrid illness. Furthermore, with

treatments that can range anywhere from living a more balanced life to a complete heart

transplant, there are ways in which one can alleviate the burden of this disease. Therefore, in

total, cardiomyopathy is undoubtedly an incredibly undesirable condition, but with

improvements in medication, technology, and awareness of healthy lifestyle choices it is possible

to decrease the number of sufferers and create a healthier world.

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