Treatment
When the cause of the dilated cardiomyopathy can be identified, efforts are aimed at treating that condition (for example, stopping alcohol or cocaine use). Often, no specific cause can be identified.
Attempts are also made to find a “trigger” that may have caused a patient’s symptoms to suddenly get worse. Examples include:
- Not taking medications correctly
- Increasing salt or fluid intake
- Drinking alcohol
The overall treatment of cardiomyopathies is focused on treating heart failure. However, each type of cardiomyopathy may be treated differently.
Prognosis (Expectations)
The outlook depends on many different things, including:
- Severity of the heart problem
- Type of cardiomyopathy
- Cause of the cardiomyopathy
- How well you respond to treatment
The disorder is long-term (chronic) and the condition may get worse very quickly.
Review Date : 6/7/2008
Reviewed By : David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Linda Vorvick, MD, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
