Cardiomyopathy, Myocarditis and Pericarditis Flashcards
what is cardiomyopathy?
it is disease of the heart muscle which affects its size, shape and structure
state 2 common cardiomyopathies
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
dilated cardiomyopathy
basically describe cardiomyopathy
diseased heart muscle that cannot contract adequately
what does cardiomyopathy result in
the failure of the heart muscle to meet the needs of the body for oxygen rich blood and removal of carbon dioxide and other waste products
what is the consequence of the heart in cardiomyopathy
the heart is weak and cannot maintain a normal ejection fraction or cardiac output
what are the 3 main types of inherited cardiomyopathy
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
dilated cardiomyopathy
arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
what is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
it is a condition in which a portion of the heart becomes thickened without an obvious cause
what does hypertrophic cardiomyopathy result in
the heart being less able to pump blood effectively
what is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by
it is caused by a change or mutation in one or more genes
what is the chance of a child of someone with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy inheriting the condition
50%
what are common symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
shortness of breath chest pain palpitation light headedness fainting
what determines how the symptoms affect you
the area of the myocardium affected and the degree of stiffening of the myocardium
what are common tests of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
ECG ECHO exercise test MRI genetic testing - as it is an inherited condition
is there a cure of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
no
what does treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy depend on
how your heart is affected and your symptoms
what is dilated cardiomyopathy?
it is a disease to your heart muscle where it becomes stretched and thin, meaning that the heart is unable to pump blood around the body
what is dilated cardiomyopathy caused by?
a change or mutation in one or more genes
if your present with dilated cardiomyopathy, what is the chance that your child will inherit the condition
50%
apart from being caused genetically, what else caused dilated cardiomyopathy
viral infections uncontrolled hypertension problems with your heart valves excessive amounts of alcohol pregnancy
describe dilated cardiomyopathy
the myocardium becomes weak, thin or floppy and is unable to pump blood around the body efficiently
what can dilated cardiomyopathy lead to
heart failure, it can lead to fluid building up in the lungs, ankles, abdomen and other organs of the body
what are the most common symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy
shortness of breath
swelling of the ankles and abdomen
excessive tiredness
palpitations
what are common tests of dilated cardiomyopathy
ECG - records electrical activity of the heart ECHO exercise test angiogram MRI
is there a cure for dilated cardiomyopathy
no
what does treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy depend on
the myocardium affected and presenting symptoms
state conditions that can develop as a result of dilated cardiomyopathy
abnormal heart rhythms
arrhythmia
blood clots
chest pain
describe treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy
medicines to control blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms or other symptoms
pacemaker - to control your heart rate
ICD
what is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
it is a rare disease of the myocardium, it is an inherited condition
what is a arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy caused by
a change or mutation in one or more genes
what are the chances of inheriting arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
your chances vary,
you might inherit the mutation however you may not develop the condition
how are cells of the myocardium normally held together
by proteins
describe the cells of the myocardium in people with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
the proteins that normally hold the cells together do not develop properly and so cannot keep the heart muscle cells together, the cells become detached and fatty deposits build up in an attempt to repair the damage
what side does arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy usually affect
the myocardium of the right side
what do the changes in the myocardium mean
the heart doesn’t pump blood around your body properly
what can arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy cause
abnormal heart rhythms
your heart’s normal electrical impulses are disrupted as they pass through the areas of damaged and scarred muscle cells
what are the 4 phases of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
concealed phase
overt phase
weakening of the right ventricle
weakening of the left ventricle
will everyone develop the phases of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
no
describe the concealed phase of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
small changes in the right ventricle
describe the overt phase of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
noticeable structural changes to the myocardium, these changes affect the pumping action of the heart, cause abnormal heart rhythms
describe the weakening of the right ventricle phase of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
the right ventricle becomes stretched, and the pumping action becomes weaker
describe the weakening of the left ventricle phase of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
the left ventricle now also becomes affected, and the pumping action of both the ventricles becomes weaker
what are symptoms of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
palpitations lightheadedness fainting breathlessness abnormal heart rhythms swollen ankles or legs swelling of the abdomen risk of sudden death on exertion
what are common tests of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
ECG - records the electrical activity of the heart
ECHO - shows the pumping action of your heart
exercise test
signal averaged ECG
MRI
what are 3 aims of treatment of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
to identify those at risk of sudden cardiac death
to prevent or control arrhythmias
to improve the pumping action of the heart muscle
is arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy curable
no
how are symptoms of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy controlled
mostly through medicines, although you may undergo treatments such as cardioversion or catheter ablation
can cardiomyopathy be reversed or cured
no
describe medicines for cardiomyopathy
medicines to treat hypertension, prevent water retention, keep the heart beating with a normal rhythm, prevent blood clots and reduce inflammation
describe the genetics of cardiomyopathy
it is the most common familial heart disease with vast genetic heterogeneity
mutations in 11 or more genes encoding proteins of the cardiac sarcomere are responsible for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited as an autosomal dominant trait and is attributed to mutations in one of a number of genes that encode for the sarcomere proteins
what is myocarditis
inflammation of the heart muscle
what are the causes of myocarditis
many viruses
contagious diseases
cocaine use
what are the most common viruses that cause myocarditis
those associated with upper respiratory tract infections
state a contagious disease that can cause myocarditis
Lyme disease
what can myocarditis rarely be caused by
cocaine use
what is the most common symptom of myocarditis
shortness of breath during exercise or exertion
what are other symptoms of myocarditis
fatigue heart palpitations chest pain chest pressure leg swelling sudden loss of consciousness abnormal heart rhythms shortness of breath lightheadedness irregular heartbeat
what are the symptoms of the majority of cases of myocarditis
the majority of cases of myocarditis have no symptoms and are not diagnosed
what are common tests for myocarditis
ECG CXR ECHO MRI heart biopsy
what is medication is myocarditis commonly treated with
medications used to treat heart failure
what is recommended for someone with myocarditis
rest and a low salt diet
what may be used to reduce heart inflammation
steroids and other medications
why may additional medications, a pacemaker or even a defibrillator be required
if an abnormal heart rhythm is present
what is the pericardium
it is a protective fluid filled sac around the heart
what is pericarditis
inflammation of the pericardium
swelling of the pericardium
what does pericarditis cause
chest pain and fever
what are common tests for pericarditis
blood tests
CXR
ECG
ECHO
what causes pericarditis
it is difficult to confirm the exact cause of pericarditis, but usually a viral infection
what does pericarditis often occur
after a viral infection, such as a sore throat or cold
describe the treatment of pericarditis
anti-inflammatory painkillers prescribed generally
should feel better within 1-2 weeks
