Heart Disease and Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy, or heart muscle disease, is a type of progressive heart disease in which the heart is abnormally enlarged, thickened, and/or stiffened. As a result, the heart muscle's ability to pump blood is less efficient, often causing heart failure and the backup of blood into the lungs or rest of the body. The disease can also cause abnormal heart rhythms.

There are three main types of cardiomyopathy:

• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy

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