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Ischemic cardiomyopathy

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Definition:

Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a term that doctors use to describe patients who have congestive heart failure due to coronary artery disease .

"Ischemic" means that an organ (such as the heart) is not getting enough blood and oxygen. "Cardio" means heart and "myopathy" means muscle-related disease.

Alternative Names:

Ischemic heart disease; Cardiomyopathy - ischemic

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Ischemic cardiomyopathy results when the arteries that bring blood and oxygen to the heart are blocked. There may be a build-up of cholesterol and other substances, called plaque, in the arteries that bring oxygen to heart muscle tissue.

Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a common cause of congestive heart failure. Patients with this condition may at one time have had a heart attack, angina , or unstable angina . A few patients may not have noticed any previous symptoms.

Ischemic cardiomyopathy is the most common type of cardiomyopathy in the United States. It affects approximately 1 out of 100 people, most often middle-aged to elderly men.

Risks for this condition include:

• Personal or family history of heart attack, angina, unstable angina, atherosclerosis , or other coronary artery diseases
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High fat diet
• High cholesterol
• Obesity

• Review Date: 7/17/2006
• Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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