- What is restrictive cardiomyopathy?
- What are the symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy?
- What causes restrictive cardiomyopathy?
- How is restrictive cardiomyopathy diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for restrictive cardiomyopathy?
- What lifestyle changes are recommended for restrictive cardiomyopathy?
- What medications are used for restrictive cardiomyopathy?
- Can surgery treat restrictive cardiomyopathy?
What Is Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
Restrictive cardiomyopathy, the rarest form of cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the walls of the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles) are abnormally rigid and lack the flexibility to expand as the ventricles fill with blood.
The pumping or systolic function of the ventricle may be normal but the diastolic function (the ability of the heart to fill with blood) is abnormal. Therefore, it is harder for the ventricles to fill with blood, and with time, the heart loses the ability to pump blood properly, leading to heart failure.
What Are the Symptoms of Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
Many people with restrictive cardiomyopathy have no symptoms or only minor symptoms, and live a normal life. Other people develop symptoms, which progress and worsen as heart function worsens.
Symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy can occur at any age and may include:
- Shortness of breath (at first with exercise; but over time it occurs at rest)
- Fatigue (feeling overly tired)
- Inability to exercise
- Swelling of the legs and feet
- Weight gain
- Nausea, bloating, and poor appetite (related to fluid retention)
- Palpitations (fluttering in the chest due to abnormal heart rhythms)
Less common symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy:
- Fainting (usually caused by irregular heart rhythms or abnormal responses of the blood vessels during exercise)
- Chest pain or pressure (occurs usually with exercise or physical activity but can also occur with rest or after meals)
What Causes Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
Restrictive cardiomyopathy is not usually inherited and its cause is often unknown. Known causes of restrictive cardiomyopathy may include:
- Buildup of scar tissue (often for no known reason)
- Buildup of abnormal proteins (amyloidosis) in the heart muscle
- Chemotherapy or chest exposure to radiation
- Excess iron (hemochromatosis) in the heart
- Other systemic diseases (e.g. (sarcoidosis)
How is Restrictive Cardiomyopathy Diagnosed?
The size of the heart may remain normal with restrictive cardiomyopathy. In some cases, restrictive cardiomyopathy may be confused with constrictive pericarditis, a condition in which the layers of the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart) become thickened, calcified, and stiff.
Restrictive cardiomyopathy is diagnosed based on medical history (your symptoms and family history), physical exam, and tests: such as blood tests, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, exercise stress test, cardiac catheterization, CT scan, and MRI.
A myocardial biopsy, or biopsy of the heart muscle, occasionally is done to determine the cause of cardiomyopathy. During a myocardial biopsy, a small tissue sample is taken from the heart and examined under a microscope to examine the cause of the symptoms.
IMAGES
Cardiomyopathy (Restrictive) See a detailed medical illustration of the heart plus our entire medical gallery of human anatomy and physiology See ImagesWhat Is the Treatment for Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
Treatment of restrictive cardiomyopathy is difficult. Treatment is usually focused on treating the cause of this condition. Doctors recommend lifestyle changes and medications to treat heart failure.
What Lifestyle Changes Are Recommended for Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
Lifestyle changes can help restrictive cardiomyopathy. They might include:
Diet. Once you have symptoms such as shortness of breath or fatigue, you should restrict your intake of salt (sodium) to 2,000 milligrams to 3,000 milligrams per day. Follow this diet even when your symptoms abate.
Exercise. Your doctor will tell you if you may exercise or not. While exercise is generally good for the heart, people with this form of cardiomyopathy may experience fatigue and shortness of breath, even with minimal exertion. Therefore, experts recommend that you take frequent breaks, exercise at a time of day where you have the most energy and start slow, gradually building up strength and endurance. Heavy weight lifting is not recommended.
What Medications Are Used for Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
Often, medications are used to treat symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy and prevent further complications. To manage heart failure, some people may improve by taking a beta-blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. If symptoms occur, digoxin, diuretics, and aldosterone inhibitors may be added. If you have an arrhythmia, your doctor may prescribe a medication to control your heart rate or lessen the occurrence of arrhythmia. Therapy may also be given to treat certain conditions, such as sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, and hemochromatosis. Your doctor will discuss what medications are best for you.
More Health News »Can Surgery Treat Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
In some cases, if the condition is severe, heart transplant surgery may be considered for restrictive cardiomyopathy.
WebMD Medical Reference
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Cardiomyopathy Association.
Reviewed by Thomas M. Maddox, MD on February 24, 2012
Top Cardiomyopathy (Restrictive) Related Articles
CT Scan (Computerized Tomography)
A CT scan is an X-ray procedure that combines many X-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of internal organs and structures of the body. A CT scan is a low-risk procedure. Contrast material may be injected into a vein or the spinal fluid to enhance the scan.
Chest Pain
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis.
Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
Chest X-Ray
Chest X-Ray is a type of X-Ray commonly used to detect abnormalities in the lungs. A chest X-ray can also detect some abnormalities in the heart, aorta, and the bones of the thoracic area. A chest X-ray can be used to define abnormalities of the lungs such as excessive fluid (fluid overload or pulmonary edema), fluid around the lung (pleural effusion), pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, cysts, and cancers.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF): Symptoms, Causes, Stages, Treatment
Congestive heart failure (CHF) refers to a condition in which the heart loses the ability to function properly. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathies are just a few potential causes of congestive heart failure. Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure may include fatigue, breathlessness, palpitations, angina, and edema. Physical examination, patient history, blood tests, and imaging tests are used to diagnose congestive heart failure. Treatment of heart failure consists of lifestyle modification and taking medications to decrease fluid in the body and ease the strain on the heart. The prognosis of a patient with congestive heart failure depends on the stage of the heart failure and the overall condition of the individual.
Dizziness
Dizziness is a symptom that often applies to a variety of sensations including lightheadedness and vertigo. Causes of dizziness include low blood pressure, heart problems, anemia, dehydration, and other medical conditions. Treatment of dizziness depends on the cause.
Echocardiogram (Echocardiography, Diagnostic Cardiac Ultrasound)
Echocardiogram is a test using ultrasound to provide pictures of the heart's valves and chambers. There are several types of echocardiograms, for example, transthoracic echocardiogram, transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), stress echocardiogram, dobutamine or adenosine/sestamibi stress echocardiogram, and and intravascular ultrasound.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
An electrocardiogram is known by the acronyms "ECG" or "EKG" more commonly used for this noninvasive procedure to record the electrical activity of the heart. An EKG generally is performed as part of a routine physical exam, part of a cardiac exercise stress test, or part of the evaluation of symptoms. Symptoms evaluated include palpitations, fainting, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, or chest pain.
High-Sensitivity Troponin Test
The high-sensitive troponin test can detect very low levels of troponin T in the blood. (There are three types of cardiac troponin proteins, I, T, and C.), which helps doctors diagnose a heart attack more quickly. If troponin levels are elevated high and the ECG (EKG, electrocardiogram) indicates an acute heart attack, immediate cardiac intervention such as catheterization, stents, or a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The high-sensitive troponin test can help diagnose heart conditions such as obstructive coronary disease (CAD), stable angina, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, chronic heart failure, myocarditis, aortic dissection, cardiotoxic chemotherapy, blunt trauma to the chest, and strenuous exercise, for example, endurance athletes. You can prevent elevated troponin levels in the blood with a heart-healthy lifestyle a heart-healthy diet, maintaining your weight, limit alcohol, don’t smoke, practice stress reduction through stress reduction techniques, meditation, and yoga, manage your blood pressure and diabetes, and take all of your medications as your doctor has instructed you. Call 911 immediately if you have chest pain and have symptoms of a heart attack, which include nausea, vomiting, belching, indigestion, upper abdominal discomfort that feels like stomach pain in the middle of the upper abdomen, upper back and arm pain, feeling as though you are getting the flu, sweating, a vague feeling of illness, and sweating.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is any state in which thyroid hormone production is below normal. Normally, the rate of thyroid hormone production is controlled by the brain by the pituitary gland. Hypothyroidism is a very common condition and the symptoms of hypothyroidism are often subtle but may include constipation, memory loss, hair loss, and depression. There are a variety of causes of hypothyroidism, and treatment depends on the cause.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan)
MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a radiology technique which uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer to produce images of body structures. MRI scanning is painless and does not involve X-ray radiation. Patients with heart pacemakers, metal implants, or metal chips or clips in or around the eyes cannot be scanned with MRI because of the effect of the magnet.