Restrictive cardiomyopathy is an uncommon form of cardiomyopathy. The condition often results to heart failure and depending on the underlying cause, the heart failure might be hard to manage properly.
Due to the complicated nature of the condition, treatment can be difficult which is why it is vital to consult a doctor.
What are the causes?
There are various conditions that can lead to restrictive cardiomyopathy. In some instances, there is no specific cause that could be identified. Nevertheless, it should be diagnosed as “idiopathic” if other potential causes have been ruled out.
The other possible causes include:
- Infiltrative ailments such as sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, Gaucher disease, Hurler syndrome and fatty infiltration
- Various familial conditions that are hereditary in nature
- Storage ailments such as hemochromatosis and Fabry disease
- Other conditions such as carcinoid syndrome, scleroderma and endomyocardial fibrosis
What are the signs?
The indications that might arise with restrictive cardiomyopathy are strikingly the same as the symptoms with other variants of heart failure. The signs are mainly due to congestion of the lungs or other organs as well as inability to sufficiently increase the amount of blood the heart pumps during exertion.
As an outcome, the evident signs with restrictive cardiomyopathy include:
- Shortness of breath
- Edema specifically the ankles and feet
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Diminished tolerance for physical activity
- Palpitations
In severe cases of restrictive cardiomyopathy, the congestion of the abdominal organs can occur which leads to an enlarged liver and spleen as well as ascites.
Management of restrictive cardiomyopathy
In case the underlying cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy has been determined, aggressive treatment of the underlying cause can help reverse or stop the progression of the condition.
The treatment for restrictive cardiomyopathy is aimed on regulating the lung congestion and edema to lessen the symptoms. This is achieved by using drugs that are given for heart failure brought about by dilated cardiomyopathy.
Some of these drugs include:
- Diuretics – these drugs provide the best benefit for restrictive cardiomyopathy
- Calcium channel blockers – these drugs are useful in directly improving the diastolic function of the heart as well as slowing down the heart rate to enable the ventricles to fill between each beat.
- ACE inhibitors – these drugs work by reducing the stiffness of the heart muscles
In case atrial fibrillation is detected, it is vital to regulate the heart rate to allow enough time for the ventricles to fill. This can be achieved with beta blockers and calcium channel blockers.
If medical treatment could not control the signs, cardiac transplantation might be an option.