Cardiomyopathy (Essay Sample)

Cardiomyopathy
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Cardiomyopathy
Etiology
Cardiomyopathy is a heterogeneous group of conditions that affect the heart muscle, leading to its dysfunction and, in some cases, heart failure. Cardiomyopathy can be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary cardiomyopathies are confined to the heart, while secondary cardiomyopathies are related to systemic disease. Primary cardiomyopathies can be genetic, "including dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)" or acquired "including Takotsubo, acute myocarditis, and peripartum" (Khalil and Alzahrani, 2022). Systemic diseases cause the secondary cardiomyopathies. These infiltrative diseases include Gaucher disease, amyloidosis, Hurler disease, and Hunter disease (Khalil and Alzahrani, 2022).
The pathophysiology of cardiomyopathy varies depending on the type, but the underlying mechanism involves damage or alteration to the heart muscle cells, leading to impaired function (Ripa et al., 2022). In genetic forms, mutations in specific genes lead to abnormal protein synthesis, which can affect the structure and function of the heart muscle cells. In secondary forms, the underlying cause, such as viral infection or alcohol abuse, can lead to damage and inflammation of the heart muscle cells.
HCM is the most common primary cardiomyopathy, with a prevalence of 1:500 (Ciarambino et al., 2021). It is characterized by the thickening of the heart muscle, particularly the left ventricle. It is typically an inherited condition and can affect people of any age and gender. The onset of HCM can be gradual or sudden, and symptoms may not appear until later in life. Genetic