Difference Between Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure


Cardiomyopathy and heart failure are two distinct medical conditions that affect the heart. While these conditions share some similarities, they have important differences that are crucial to understanding their underlying mechanisms, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

What is Cardiomyopathy?

Cardiomyopathy is a broad term used to describe any disease of the heart muscle. The heart muscle, also known as the myocardium, can become enlarged, thickened, or rigid due to various factors, including genetics, infections, toxins, and autoimmune disorders. These changes can lead to a weakened heart, reduced blood flow, and abnormal heart rhythms, which can further compromise heart function.

There are four main types of cardiomyopathy, each with its own specific characteristics −

  • Dilated cardiomyopathy − This type of cardiomyopathy is characterized by a weakened and enlarged heart muscle that cannot pump blood effectively. It is the most common type of cardiomyopathy and can be caused by genetic mutations, viral infections, alcohol abuse, or certain medications.

  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy − This type of cardiomyopathy is characterized by a thickened heart muscle that can obstruct blood flow and cause arrhythmias. It is often inherited and can lead to sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

  • Restrictive cardiomyopathy − This type of cardiomyopathy is characterized by a stiffened heart muscle that cannot relax properly and fill with blood. It is often caused by amyloidosis, a rare disease that affects the heart and other organs.

  • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy − This type of cardiomyopathy is characterized by a thinning and fibrosis of the right ventricle, which can lead to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. It is often inherited and more common in young men.

Diagnosis − Diagnosis can be made by an MRI, chest X-ray, ECG, and echocardiography. The echocardiography and heart wall biopsy is particularly useful for determining which type of cardiomyopathy a person has.

Cardiomyopathy Causes − The cause of cardiomyopathy that is hypertrophic appears to be genetic, with several mutations having been discovered. Dilated cardiomyopathy is caused by the heart beating too fast over a period of time. This is usually due to viral infections, Trypanosoma cruzi parasitic infection and exposure to toxins. About 1/5 of cases do involve genetics. The causes of restrictive cardiomyopathy are speculated to be certain underlying disorders and probably genetic problems.

Risk factors involved in Cardiomyopathy − The risk factors for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are having a family history and having certain genetic mutations. Risk factors for the development of dilated cardiomyopathy are really exposure to viral pathogens, having Chaga’s disease (which is caused by T. cruzi) and having a viral infection.

Treatment for Cardiomyopathy − In the case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the usual treatment is medication such as calcium channel blocking medicine and beta blockers. In cases of dilated cardiomyopathy patients may also need to be given diuretics and digoxin and may need to have a cardioverter-defibrillator implanted. Patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy also often are given medicines such as diuretics, beta blockers, and digoxin.

What is Heart Failure?

heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's demands. Heart failure can be caused by various factors, including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, valve disorders, and cardiomyopathy. Heart failure can affect the left, right, or both sides of the heart and can be acute or chronic

There are two main types of heart failure −

  • Systolic heart failure − This type of heart failure is characterized by a weakened left ventricle that cannot contract effectively and pump blood out to the body. It is often caused by a heart attack or long-term high blood pressure.

  • Diastolic heart failure − This type of heart failure is characterized by a stiffened left ventricle that cannot relax properly and fill with blood. It is often caused by aging, diabetes, or high blood pressure.

Causes − Several disorders cause heart failure including cardiomyopathy, hypertension, a myocardial infarction (heart attack), coronary artery disorders, valve disease, and diabetes.

Risk factors − Risk factors include having cardiomyopathy, particularly dilated cardiomyopathy; having uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of heart problems and heart valve or coronary artery problems.

Treatment for Heart failure − The way to treat heart failure is to establish what caused it in the first place. Depending on how severe the problem is an individual may require a heart transplant. In the early stages of heart failure medication such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and ace inhibitors may be helpful. A cardioverter-defibrillator may need to be surgically implanted if there are problems with the heart beating too fast and with the heart beating irregularly (tachycardia and fibrillation).

Differences: Cardiomyopathy and Heart failure

The symptoms of cardiomyopathy and heart failure can overlap, but there are some key differences. The symptoms of cardiomyopathy can include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, and swelling in the legs and ankles. The symptoms of heart failure can include fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing, swelling in the legs and ankles, and rapid or irregular heartbeat.

The diagnosis of cardiomyopathy and heart failure involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, imaging tests, and laboratory tests. These tests can help identify the underlying cause of the condition and determine the severity of the heart damage.

Treatment options for cardiomyopathy and heart failure can vary depending on the underlying cause, the type of the condition, and the severity of the symptoms. Treatment options can include lifestyle modifications, medications, surgery, and implantable devices such as pacemakers or defibrillators.

The following table highlights the major differences between Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure −

Characteristics

Cardiomyopathy

Heart Failure

Definition

Cardiomyopathy is a problem in the heart muscle.

Heart failure is the problem when the heart beats ineffectively.

Age affected

Cardiomyopathy is often congenital, and is therefore quite common in children.

Heart failure is not a common condition found in children.

Mortality rate

The mortality rate for cardiomyopathy is usually 1% to 10% per year.

The mortality rate for heart failure is from 10% to 40% per year.

Symptoms

In cardiomyopathy patients often are short of breath or have trouble breathing when exercising.

Depending on the type of cardiomyopathy they may have palpitations and trouble breathing at night. Sometimes people may faint while exercising.

Heart failure can cause symptoms such as swollen ankles, fatigue, trouble breathing, lower cardiac output, palpitations and a feeling of faintness, which is not limited to exercise.

Diagnosis

ECG, chest X-ray, MRI, echocardiography and muscle wall biopsy can diagnose cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac radionucleotide scans, chest X-rays, along with ECG and tests of levels of a natriuretic peptide can diagnose heart failure.

Causes

The main cause of cardiomyopathy is genetics and viral infections.

There are many causes of heart failure including having had a myocardial infarction, having hypertension, heart valve problems, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease and diabetes.

Treatment

Cardiomyopathy can be treated with medications such as beta blockers, digoxin, and calcium channel blockers.

Heart failure can be treated with the same medications as cardiomyopathy but also nitrates and diuretics, and sometimes a cardioverter-defibrillator or a transplanted heart may be necessary for survival.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cardiomyopathy and heart failure are two distinct medical conditions that affect the heart. Cardiomyopathy refers to any disease of the heart muscle, while heart failure refers to a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's demands.

Updated on: 06-Apr-2023

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