"Cardiomyopathy literally means "heart muscle disease", and is a form of chronic heart disease that does not discriminate - ANYONE can be at risk. Cardiomyopathy is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium - or the actual heart muscle - for ANY reason. Since it's such a broad term, in theory "cardiomyopathy" could apply to almost any disease that affects the heart, but in practice it's used to describe severe myocardial disease that can lead to heart failure.Those MOST at risk for cardiomyopathy include diabetics, the obese, long-term alcoholics, and those infected with viral hepatitis or HIV. There is sometimes a genetic predisposition to the condition.Symptoms of cardiomyopathy can differ depending on which type you have.DILATED cardiomyopathy, which is the most common type, is most prevalent in men aged 20 to 60, and causes the heart's chambers to become weakened and enlarged.Symptoms will appear once the disease has caused heart failure or arrhythmia and can include shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling of the extremities and abdomen.HYPERTROPHIC cardiomyopathy is caused by the THICKENING of the heart muscle and can affect anyone from teens to seniors. Symptoms can include chest pain, dizziness, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and fainting.RESTRICTIVE cardiomyopathy is characterized by STIFFNESS of the heart muscle. This makes it difficult for the heart to relax normally between heartbeats. Restrictive cardiomyopathy generally affects older adults and may be caused by accumulation of scar tissue that happens as a result of protein buildup in the heart muscles, connective tissue disorders, cancer treatments or sarcoidosis--which is an inflammation that produces tiny lumps of cells in the heart muscle. Restrictive cardiomyopathy can trigger previously mentioned symptoms, as wells as nausea and weight gain. Regardless of type, cardiomyopathy treatments include lifestyle changes, medicines, surgery, and implants to correct arrhythmias. These treatments can control symptoms, reduce complications, and even stop the disease. To learn about other common heart health issues, check out more videos on this site. "

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