Heart muscle diseases are also known as cardiomyopathies. These diseases affect the muscles of the heart. Patients with cardiomyopathy have thickened heart muscles with scar tissues. The heart cannot pump an adequate quantity of blood to the body due to diseased muscles.
Heart muscle diseases, also known as cardiomyopathies, refer to a group of conditions that affect the structure and function of the heart muscles. These diseases can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, reduced pumping ability, and other complications.
Risk stratification involves assessing an individual's risk of developing severe symptoms or experiencing life-threatening events related to their heart muscle disease. This process typically includes evaluating various factors such as family history, genetic testing results, imaging studies (echocardiogram), and clinical symptoms.
Invasive hemodynamic assessment involves measuring pressures within the chambers of the heart using specialized catheters inserted through blood vessels. This procedure helps determine specific parameters like cardiac output and pressure measurements that aid in diagnosing and managing certain types of heart muscle diseases.
Ablation may be considered as a treatment option for certain types of arrhythmias associated with heart muscle diseases. This minimally invasive procedure uses radiofrequency energy or cryotherapy to target and destroy abnormal tissue causing irregular electrical signals in the heart.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) devices are often recommended for individuals at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest due to their underlying heart muscle disease or previous cardiac events like ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy aims to improve synchrony between different parts of the heartbeat by using a specialized pacemaker device called a CRT device. It is beneficial for certain individuals with heart muscle diseases, particularly those experiencing electrical conduction issues that can lead to heart failure symptoms.