DOD Grant#:W81XWH2010272
Cardiomyopathy is a medical term meaning, ‘heart muscle disease’. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common type and is classified as either Ischemic (lack of blood supply) or Non-Ischemic. In patients with Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy (NIDCM), the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood effectively 1 . As the heart stretches, the walls of the heart chambers become thinner and weaker, which over time can lead to heart failure and death. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue
Oftentimes the cause of DCM is unknown, but one-third of patients with DCM inherit it from their parents 2 . Other causes include alcohol and drug abuse, viral infection of the heart, after pregnancy, side-effect of cancer chemotherapy or radiation, and diseases of the endocrine system (thyroid, adrenal glands).