When the cause of dilated cardiomyopathy can be identified, efforts are aimed at treating that condition (for example, treating high blood pressure or coronary artery disease, or stopping alcohol or cocaine use). Sometimes, no specific cause can be identified.
Attempts are also made to find a "trigger" that may have caused a patient's symptoms to suddenly get worse. Examples include:
- Drinking alcohol
- Increasing salt or fluid intake
- Not taking medications correctly
- Using recreational drugs, especially stimulants such as cocaine
The overall treatment of cardiomyopathies is focused on treating heart failure. However, each type of cardiomyopathy may be treated differently.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outlook depends on many different things, including:
- Cause of the cardiomyopathy
- How well you respond to treatment
- Severity of the heart problem
- Type of cardiomyopathy
The disorder is long-term (chronic) and the condition may get worse very quickly.
Complications
References
Hare JM. The dilated, restrictive, and infiltrative cardiomyopathies. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2007:chap 64.
Bernstein D. Diseases of the myocardium. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 439.
Wexler RK, Elton T, Pleister A, Feldman D. Cardiomyopathy: An overview. Am Fam Physician. 2009;79:778-784.
Physician Reference
International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD9)
414.8 | 414.9 | 425 | 425.0 | 425.1 | 425.2 | 425.3 | 425.4 | 425.7 | 425.8 | 425.9
Review Date: 5/17/2010
Reviewed By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.