Definition of Ischemic cardiomyopathy:

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.

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