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Review
. 2021 Jul 19;22(14):7722.
doi: 10.3390/ijms22147722.

Cardiomyopathies: An Overview

Tiziana Ciarambino  1 , Giovanni Menna  2 , Gennaro Sansone  2 , Mauro Giordano  2
Affiliations
Review

Cardiomyopathies: An Overview

Tiziana Ciarambino et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of pathologies characterized by structural and functional alterations of the heart.

Aims: The purpose of this narrative review is to focus on the most important cardiomyopathies and their epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.

Methods: Clinical trials were identified by Pubmed until 30 March 2021. The search keywords were "cardiomyopathies, sudden cardiac arrest, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), restrictive cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ARCV), takotsubo syndrome".

Results: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common primary cardiomyopathy, with a prevalence of 1:500 persons. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has a prevalence of 1:2500 and is the leading indication for heart transplantation. Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is the least common of the major cardiomyopathies, representing 2% to 5% of cases. Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ARCV) is a pathology characterized by the substitution of the myocardium by fibrofatty tissue. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is defined as an abrupt onset of left ventricular dysfunction in response to severe emotional or physiologic stress.

Conclusion: In particular, it has been reported that HCM is the most important cause of sudden death on the athletic field in the United States. It is needless to say how important it is to know which changes in the heart due to physical activity are normal, and when they are pathological.

Keywords: arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy; cardiomyopathies; dilated cardiomyopathy; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; restrictive cardiomyopathy; sudden cardiac arrest; takotsubo syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
In this figure, we report the most important causes of dilated cardiomyopathy (%).
Figure 2
Figure 2
In this figure, we report the clinical manifestation in HCM (%).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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