About heart disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy

What is heart disease and 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 for heart disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy?

Swelling of legs and feet symptom was found in the heart disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy condition

Many people with this have none or just minor ones, and they live a normal life. Other people have ones that get more severe as the heart gets worse.

Symptoms can happen at any age and may include:

  • Shortness of breath (at first with exercise, but eventually at rest, too)
  • Fatigue
  • Inability to exercise
  • Swelling of the legs and feet
  • Weight gain
  • Nausea, bloating, and poor appetite
  • Palpitations (fluttering in the chest due to abnormal heart rhythms)
  • Fainting
  • Chest pain or pressure

What are the causes for heart disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy?

Its cause is often unknown but there are often factors that put you more at risk of heart disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy. (see risk factors below)

What are the treatments for heart disease and 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 are the risk factors for heart disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy?

Risks may include: 

  • Buildup of scar tissue
  • Buildup of proteins in the heart muscle (your doctor may call this amyloidosis)
  • Chemotherapy or chest exposure to radiation
  • Too much iron in the heart (also called hemochromatosis)
  • Other diseases

Is there a cure/medications for heart disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy?

Medications: Some people may get better by taking types of drugs called beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors.

If symptoms are still around, your doctor may add other medicines like digoxin, diuretics, and aldosterone inhibitors.

If you have an arrhythmia, your doctor may prescribe something to control your heart rate or make the arrhythmia happen less often. Therapy may also be given to treat things like sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, and hemochromatosis.

Your doctor will let you know which medications are best for you.

Can Surgery Treat It?

In some cases, if the condition is severe, your doctor may talk to you about a heart transplant.

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