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Restrictive cardiomyopathy - Treatment

Alternative Names

Cardiomyopathy - restrictive; Infiltrative cardiomyopathy

Treatment:

Few treatmetns are known to be effective for restrictive cardiomyopathy. The goal of treatment is to control symptoms and improve the quality of life.

The following treatments may be used to control symptoms:

Chemotherapy
Diuretics to remove fluid and help improve breathing
Steroids

A heart transplant may be considered if the heart function is very poor.

Expectations (prognosis):

People with restrictive cardiomyopathy may be heart transplant candidates. The outlook depends on the cause of the condition, but it is usually poor. Average survival after diagnosis is 9 years.

Complications:

Calling your health care provider:

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

Heart, section through the middle

Heart, front view

Reviewed last on: 5/15/2008
Alan Berger, MD, Assistant Professor, Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Hare JM. The Dilated, Restrictive, and Infiltrative Cardiomyopathies. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP. Libby: Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 64.

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