Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Ischemic cardiomyopathy

Alternative Names:

Ischemic heart disease; Cardiomyopathy - ischemic

Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and treat the cause of the condition. If symptoms are severe, you may need to stay in the hospital.

Several types of medications have been found to help patients live longer with this disorder. They include ACE-inhibitors (captopril, lisinopril), beta-blockers (metoprolol, carvedilol), and diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix), spironolactone, and eplerenone.

A cardiac catheterization will be done to see if you can have bypass surgery or angioplasty ("balloon procedure"). These treatments can improve blood flow to the damaged or weakened heart muscle.

A number of studies have shown that heart failure symptoms can be improved with a special type of pacemaker. It paces both the right and left sides of heart. This is referred to as biventricular pacing or cardiac resynchronization therapy. Ask your provider if this therapy is right for you.

A heart transplant may be recommended for patients who have failed all the standard treatments and still have very severe symptoms. Recently, implantable, artificial heart pumps have been developed. At this point, very, very few patients will be able to undergo either of these advanced treatments.

If you smoke or drink alcohol excessively, stop doing so, because these habits increase the stress on the heart.

Expectations (prognosis):

This is a very serious disorder. Patients with this condition, in general, do not have a normal lifespan. For some, the prognosis is just as bad as for many forms of cancer. Thus, it is very important to discuss your particular situation with your doctor to ensure that you can improve it as much as possible.

Complications:

Calling your health care provider:

Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have symptoms that may be ischemic cardiomyopathy, or if chest pain is present and not relieved by rest or nitroglycerin.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

adam.com