Can you live a long time with cardiomyopathy?
With proper care, many people can live long and full lives with a cardiomyopathy diagnosis. When recommending treatment, we always consider the least invasive approach first. Options range from lifestyle support and medications to implantable devices, procedures, and surgeries.
How long does a person live with cardiomyopathy?
Although there have been recent improvements in congestive heart failure treatment, researchers say the prognosis for people with the disease is still bleak, with about 50% having an average life expectancy of less than five years.
Is cardiomyopathy same as heart failure?
Heart failure can occur when the heart muscle is weak (systolic failure) or when it is stiff and unable to relax normally (diastolic failure). Cardiomyopathy, which means “disease of the heart muscle,” is one of many causes of heart failure.
How long can you live with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
Research has shown that with proper treatment and follow-ups, most people with HCM live a normal life. A database of 1,297 patients with HCM from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation identified that 2% of the patients can live past 90 years, and 69% of them were women.
How do you feel when you have cardiomyopathy?
Signs and symptoms of cardiomyopathy include: Shortness of breath or trouble breathing, especially with physical exertion. Fatigue. Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen and veins in the neck.
Is nonischemic cardiomyopathy serious?
Second, many nonischemic cardiomyopathy disorders are associated with the presence of scar tissue. Emerging evidence suggests that myocardial scar is often the genesis for cardiac arrhythmia that can be life threatening [24].
How long can I live with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
What is the least common type of cardiomyopathy?
This least common type of cardiomyopathy can occur at any age, but it most often affects older people. Restrictive cardiomyopathy can occur for no known reason (idiopathic), or it can by caused by a disease elsewhere in the body that affects the heart, such as when iron builds up in the heart muscle (hemochromatosis).
What are the dangers of cardiomyopathy?
Cardiac arrest and sudden death. Cardiomyopathy can lead to abnormal heart rhythms. These abnormal heart rhythms can result in fainting or, in some cases, sudden death if your heart stops beating effectively. In many cases, you can’t prevent cardiomyopathy. Let your doctor know if you have a family history of the condition.
What are the treatment options for cardiomyopathy?
Treatment — which might include medications, surgically implanted devices or, in severe cases, a heart transplant — depends on which type of cardiomyopathy you have and how serious it is. There might be no signs or symptoms in the early stages of cardiomyopathy. But as the condition advances, signs and symptoms usually appear, including:
What happens if dilated cardiomyopathy is left untreated?
Dilated cardiomyopathy Compared with a normal heart, dilated cardiomyopathy causes the chambers of the heart to enlarge, which can lead to heart failure if left untreated. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Illustrations of a normal heart (left) and a heart with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.