cardiomyopathy

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cardiomyopathy

pathology

Written by James B. Young

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 4, 2024 • Article History

Related Topics:: human cardiovascular system; cardiac muscle

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Serum protein panel test can help identify cardiomyopathy risk in childhood cancer survivors • Dec. 3, 2024, 4:09 PM ET (News-Medical)

cardiomyopathy, any cardiac disease process that results in heart failure due to a decrease in the pumping power of the heart or due to an impairment in the filling of the cardiac chambers. Persons with cardiomyopathy frequently retain excess fluid, resulting in congestion of the lungs, and have symptoms of weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Sometimes they develop a potentially fatal arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm. Most cardiomyopathies are idiopathic, or of unknown cause. Specific cases are usually categorized as dilated, hypertrophic, or restrictive, according to the observed abnormality. Dilated cardiomyopathy, the most common type of the disease, is ...(100 of 471 words)

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