Definition of Cardiomyopathy:

Cardiomyopathy is a weakening of the heart muscle or a change in heart muscle structure. It is often associated with inadequate heart pumping or other heart function problems.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Cardiomyopathy can be caused by:

• Alcoholism
• Celiac disease
• End-stage kidney disease
• Heart attacks
• Infections due to viruses
• Long-term, severe high blood pressure
• Nutritional deficiencies (particularly selenium, thiamine, and L-carnitine)
• Systemic lupus erythematosus

There are many different types of cardiomyopathy. This article provides a general overview. Please see the linked article for details on a specific type of cardiomyopathy.

Specific types of cardiomyopathy include:

• Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Peripartum cardiomyopathy (occurs during or in the first 5 months after pregnancy)
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy

Other types of cardiomyopathy include:

• Tachycardia mediated cardiomyopathy: This occurs in people who have an abnormally fast heart rate.
• Idiopathic cardiomyopathy: "Idiopathic" means that the cause is unknown.
• Hypertensive cardiomyopathy: Occurs in people who have high blood pressure for a long time, especially when it has gone untreated for years.
• Infectious cardiomyopathy: HIV, Lyme disease, Chagas disease, viral myocarditis, and other infections can cause this condition
• Toxic cardiomyopathy: Cocaine use and certain chemotherapy drugs can also cause dilated cardiomyopathy.