The heart muscle condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy causes the muscular walls to stretch and become thin (dilated). Because of the weaker, thinner walls, the heart cannot effectively squeeze (contract) to pump blood to the body. There are high chambers (the atria) and lower chambers on either side of the heart (the ventricles). the heart's lower left chamber is impacted by dilated cardiomyopathy.
The left ventricle's function is to pump blood loaded with oxygen to the rest of the body. Normally, the left ventricle has strong, muscular walls. The heart's normal cone shape is changed to a rounder shape in dilated cardiomyopathy due to the expanded muscle walls.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common type of cardiomyopathy. It typically affects persons between the ages of 20 and 60 and more frequently affects men than women.
Some patients with dilated cardiomyopathy never have symptoms, while others may show signs as the disease progresses. Symptoms might include the following:
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Feet or ankle swelling
Heart palpitations
Abnormal heart rhythm
Cough
The cause of dilated cardiomyopathy is unknown in many cases. Some people can inherit this condition from their parents. Other causes may include:
Disorder of heart valve
High blood pressure
Blood vessels diseases
Inflammation of heart muscle by a viral infection
Alcohol abuse
Thyroid disease
Diabetes
Irregular heart rhythm
Pregnancy
Some toxins and medicines
Your doctor would typically refer you to a cardiologist for a few tests and specialized advice if they have any reason to believe that you might have dilated cardiomyopathy.
Adding to the physical examination, the following tests may be requested:
Echocardiogram to examine blood flow in the heart and heart motion
Electrocardiogram to assess the heart rhythm
Continuous portable ECG monitoring to further analyze heart rhythms away from the healthcare provider’s office
Chest X-ray to see the heart anatomy
Exercise testing to test heart performance during exercise
The first step of dilated cardiomyopathy treatment is to treat the underlying cause. For example,
Limiting exposure to toxins and alcohol
Diabetes control
Treatment of thyroid conditions
In some cases, treating an underlying problem makes dilated cardiomyopathy significantly better. Other times, the damage is severe. Then, the focus of the treatment is on symptom management. Your medical professional might suggest therapies like:
Medicines for high blood pressure (Ex: enalapril, lisinopril, perindopril, ramipril, candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, valsartan and olmesartan, amlodipine)
Medicines to treat heart failure (Ex: digoxin)
Diuretics (Ex: indapamide, bendroflumethiazide)
Anticoagulants (Ex: warfarin)
Beta-blockers. (Ex: atenolol, bisoprolol)
In the future, if your disease worsens significantly, you might require a heart transplant.
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