Treatment:

Treatment for cardiomyopathies focuses on treating heart failure. They include:

• Making important changes in your lifestyle
• Knowing your body and the symptoms of heart failure
• Taking medicines for heart failure
• A pacemaker to help treat slow heart rates or help your heart contract in a more coordinated fashion
• A defibrillator that recognizes life-threatening, abnormal heart rhythms and sends an electrical pulse to stop them

See also: Heart failure

Cardiac catheterization might be done to see if you may benefit from coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery or a balloon procedure (angioplasty), which could improve blood flow to the damaged or weakened heart muscle.

A heart transplant may be recommended for patients who have failed all the standard treatments and still have very severe symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outcome varies. Some people remain in a stable condition for long periods of time, some continue to gradually get sicker, and others quickly get worse. Cardiomyopathy can only be corrected if the disease that caused it can be cured.

About one-third of children recover completely, one-third recover but continue to have some heart problems, and one-third die.

Complications:

• Arrhythmias
• Congestive heart failure
• Pulmonary edema
• Side effects of medications, including:
  • Headache
  • Gastrointestinal upset
  • Light-headedness and fainting
  • Low blood pressure
  • Lupus reaction (a group of symptoms including a skin rash and arthritis)

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of cardiomyopathy.

If chest pain, palpitations, or faintness develop seek emergency medical treatment immediately.