Description
Cardiomyopathy refers to a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle (myocardium) and that prevent the heart from functioning normally. There are many types of cardiomyopathy. The most frequent are:
Some of the more rare diseases include:
- Restrictive cardiomyopathy (such as cardiac amyloidosis)
- Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
In the United States, cardiomyopathy is responsible for approximately 10,000 deaths per year and over 46,000 hospital admissions. It is also the main reason for transplantation.