Download DCM: Dilated cardiomyopathy. Inherited Heart Disease Clinic

Other tests may also be needed or
suggested by your cardiologist. These
will be discussed with you at that time.
For More Information Visit:
www.med.mun.ca/arvc/
www.cardiomyopathy.org
www.sads.ca
Treatment
Although DCM is not curable, some
treatments may make you feel better.
The treatment you will receive will
depend on how you are feeling and
the overall function of your heart.
Your doctor will review all of your test
reports and, in discussion with you,
will decide and explain the treatment
that may work best. Some of these may
be: medications, a pacemaker (for slow
heart rates), sometimes an internal
defibrillator (ICD – to detect and treat
dangerous heart rhythms) and rarely
heart transplantation.
Clinic Staff:
• Dr. Martin Gardner FRCP(C), FACC
• Dr. Chris Gray MD, FRCP(C)
• Victoria Newman-Burd RN, BScN,
CCRP
• Dr. Sarah Dyack, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG
• Amy Crowley MS-CGC
• Julie Hatheway MS-CGC
Looking for more health information?
Contact your local public library for books, videos,
magazine articles and online health information.
For a list of public libraries in Nova Scotia go to
http://publiclibraries.ns.ca
Capital Health promotes a smoke-free and scent-free
environment. Please do not wear perfumed products.
Thank You!
Capital Health, Nova Scotia
www.cdha.nshealth.ca
Funding for the Inherited Heart Disease Clinic
provided by Medtronic of Canada
Prepared by: Inherited Heart Disease Clinic, QEII
Designed and Printed by: CH Audio Visual and
Printing Departments
WG85-0629 Revised Oct. 2011
The information in this pamphlet is
to be updated every 3 years.
2011
DCM:
Dilated
Cardiomyopathy
Inherited Heart Disease
Clinic
What is DCM?
The heart is a hollow organ that is made
up mainly of muscle. It is divided into 4
chambers, the atria (2 chambers in the
top part of the heart) and the ventricles
(2 chambers in the bottom part of the
heart). Normally, blood is gathered from
the body in the atria, sent into the
ventricles and then pumped back out
into the body by a powerful contraction
of the heart muscle.
In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the
heart muscle has become weak, thin,
or floppy. It cannot push the blood
back to the body as forcefully as it
once did. When the heart muscle
becomes weak and stretched, too much
blood can gather in the chambers. This
may cause a back up of fluid in many
parts of the body and cause the
symptoms of DCM (see Symptoms).
What causes DCM?
There are many different causes of
DCM but about 20–40% of DCM is
thought to be hereditary (genes passed
from one generation to the next).
Members of a family who are affected
with this disease have a 50:50 chance
of inheriting the genetic defect.
If your DCM is hereditary, your doctor
may recommend genetic counseling for
you and your family.
Other causes may be viral (although
rare, some viruses can be severe
enough to weaken the heart muscle),
autoimmune disease (the body’s own
immune system attacks itself),
excessive alcohol intake, pregnancy
(although uncommon, the extra
demands on the mother’s heart can
cause DCM) and even causes that may
not be found (idiopathic).
Symptoms
The severity and type of the symptoms
will vary from person to person. You may
have all or none of these symptoms. It
is important to discuss any symptoms
with your doctor. Some common
symptoms may be:
Shortness of breath: This can occur
if you lungs become filled with fluid
because of the heart muscle’s poor
pumping ability.
Swelling of ankles: Fluid can gather in
the ankles or “belly” because of the
poor pumping ability of your heart
muscle.
Tiredness: A weak heart muscle is
unable to supply the rest of the body
with enough blood and oxygen. This
can cause the body to feel tired.
Palpitations: Sometimes you may feel
your heart racing or a feeling of a ‘butterfly’ fluttering in your chest. You may also
feel lightheaded or faint (this is from
lack of blood supply to your brain).
Diagnosis
Genetic testing may be available for
some people with this kind of heart
problem. This will be discussed with
you. There is no one test to diagnose
DCM, but rather a number of tests to
ensure an accurate diagnosis is made.
Your doctor may arrange for you to have
some of these:
Electrocardiogram (ECG): An electrical
tracing of your heartbeat.
Holter Monitor: Continuously records
your heart’s rhythm for about 24 hours.
Echocardiogram (ECHO): Ultrasound
pictures of your heart assess the thickness of the heart muscle and how well
it is pumping.
What is DCM?
The heart is a hollow organ that is made
up mainly of muscle. It is divided into 4
chambers, the atria (2 chambers in the
top part of the heart) and the ventricles
(2 chambers in the bottom part of the
heart). Normally, blood is gathered from
the body in the atria, sent into the
ventricles and then pumped back out
into the body by a powerful contraction
of the heart muscle.
In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the
heart muscle has become weak, thin,
or floppy. It cannot push the blood
back to the body as forcefully as it
once did. When the heart muscle
becomes weak and stretched, too much
blood can gather in the chambers. This
may cause a back up of fluid in many
parts of the body and cause the
symptoms of DCM (see Symptoms).
What causes DCM?
There are many different causes of
DCM but about 20–40% of DCM is
thought to be hereditary (genes passed
from one generation to the next).
Members of a family who are affected
with this disease have a 50:50 chance
of inheriting the genetic defect.
If your DCM is hereditary, your doctor
may recommend genetic counseling for
you and your family.
Other causes may be viral (although
rare, some viruses can be severe
enough to weaken the heart muscle),
autoimmune disease (the body’s own
immune system attacks itself),
excessive alcohol intake, pregnancy
(although uncommon, the extra
demands on the mother’s heart can
cause DCM) and even causes that may
not be found (idiopathic).
Symptoms
The severity and type of the symptoms
will vary from person to person. You may
have all or none of these symptoms. It
is important to discuss any symptoms
with your doctor. Some common
symptoms may be:
Shortness of breath: This can occur
if you lungs become filled with fluid
because of the heart muscle’s poor
pumping ability.
Swelling of ankles: Fluid can gather in
the ankles or “belly” because of the
poor pumping ability of your heart
muscle.
Tiredness: A weak heart muscle is
unable to supply the rest of the body
with enough blood and oxygen. This
can cause the body to feel tired.
Palpitations: Sometimes you may feel
your heart racing or a feeling of a ‘butterfly’ fluttering in your chest. You may also
feel lightheaded or faint (this is from
lack of blood supply to your brain).
Diagnosis
Genetic testing may be available for
some people with this kind of heart
problem. This will be discussed with
you. There is no one test to diagnose
DCM, but rather a number of tests to
ensure an accurate diagnosis is made.
Your doctor may arrange for you to have
some of these:
Electrocardiogram (ECG): An electrical
tracing of your heartbeat.
Holter Monitor: Continuously records
your heart’s rhythm for about 24 hours.
Echocardiogram (ECHO): Ultrasound
pictures of your heart assess the thickness of the heart muscle and how well
it is pumping.
What is DCM?
The heart is a hollow organ that is made
up mainly of muscle. It is divided into 4
chambers, the atria (2 chambers in the
top part of the heart) and the ventricles
(2 chambers in the bottom part of the
heart). Normally, blood is gathered from
the body in the atria, sent into the
ventricles and then pumped back out
into the body by a powerful contraction
of the heart muscle.
In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the
heart muscle has become weak, thin,
or floppy. It cannot push the blood
back to the body as forcefully as it
once did. When the heart muscle
becomes weak and stretched, too much
blood can gather in the chambers. This
may cause a back up of fluid in many
parts of the body and cause the
symptoms of DCM (see Symptoms).
What causes DCM?
There are many different causes of
DCM but about 20–40% of DCM is
thought to be hereditary (genes passed
from one generation to the next).
Members of a family who are affected
with this disease have a 50:50 chance
of inheriting the genetic defect.
If your DCM is hereditary, your doctor
may recommend genetic counseling for
you and your family.
Other causes may be viral (although
rare, some viruses can be severe
enough to weaken the heart muscle),
autoimmune disease (the body’s own
immune system attacks itself),
excessive alcohol intake, pregnancy
(although uncommon, the extra
demands on the mother’s heart can
cause DCM) and even causes that may
not be found (idiopathic).
Symptoms
The severity and type of the symptoms
will vary from person to person. You may
have all or none of these symptoms. It
is important to discuss any symptoms
with your doctor. Some common
symptoms may be:
Shortness of breath: This can occur
if you lungs become filled with fluid
because of the heart muscle’s poor
pumping ability.
Swelling of ankles: Fluid can gather in
the ankles or “belly” because of the
poor pumping ability of your heart
muscle.
Tiredness: A weak heart muscle is
unable to supply the rest of the body
with enough blood and oxygen. This
can cause the body to feel tired.
Palpitations: Sometimes you may feel
your heart racing or a feeling of a ‘butterfly’ fluttering in your chest. You may also
feel lightheaded or faint (this is from
lack of blood supply to your brain).
Diagnosis
Genetic testing may be available for
some people with this kind of heart
problem. This will be discussed with
you. There is no one test to diagnose
DCM, but rather a number of tests to
ensure an accurate diagnosis is made.
Your doctor may arrange for you to have
some of these:
Electrocardiogram (ECG): An electrical
tracing of your heartbeat.
Holter Monitor: Continuously records
your heart’s rhythm for about 24 hours.
Echocardiogram (ECHO): Ultrasound
pictures of your heart assess the thickness of the heart muscle and how well
it is pumping.
Other tests may also be needed or
suggested by your cardiologist. These
will be discussed with you at that time.
For More Information Visit:
www.med.mun.ca/arvc/
www.cardiomyopathy.org
www.sads.ca
Treatment
Although DCM is not curable, some
treatments may make you feel better.
The treatment you will receive will
depend on how you are feeling and
the overall function of your heart.
Your doctor will review all of your test
reports and, in discussion with you,
will decide and explain the treatment
that may work best. Some of these may
be: medications, a pacemaker (for slow
heart rates), sometimes an internal
defibrillator (ICD – to detect and treat
dangerous heart rhythms) and rarely
heart transplantation.
Clinic Staff:
• Dr. Martin Gardner FRCP(C), FACC
• Dr. Chris Gray MD, FRCP(C)
• Victoria Newman-Burd RN, BScN,
CCRP
• Dr. Sarah Dyack, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG
• Amy Crowley MS-CGC
• Julie Hatheway MS-CGC
Looking for more health information?
Contact your local public library for books, videos,
magazine articles and online health information.
For a list of public libraries in Nova Scotia go to
http://publiclibraries.ns.ca
Capital Health promotes a smoke-free and scent-free
environment. Please do not wear perfumed products.
Thank You!
Capital Health, Nova Scotia
www.cdha.nshealth.ca
Funding for the Inherited Heart Disease Clinic
provided by Medtronic of Canada
Prepared by: Inherited Heart Disease Clinic, QEII
Designed and Printed by: CH Audio Visual and
Printing Departments
WG85-0629 Revised Oct. 2011
The information in this pamphlet is
to be updated every 3 years.
2011
DCM:
Dilated
Cardiomyopathy
Inherited Heart Disease
Clinic
Other tests may also be needed or
suggested by your cardiologist. These
will be discussed with you at that time.
For More Information Visit:
www.med.mun.ca/arvc/
www.cardiomyopathy.org
www.sads.ca
Treatment
Although DCM is not curable, some
treatments may make you feel better.
The treatment you will receive will
depend on how you are feeling and
the overall function of your heart.
Your doctor will review all of your test
reports and, in discussion with you,
will decide and explain the treatment
that may work best. Some of these may
be: medications, a pacemaker (for slow
heart rates), sometimes an internal
defibrillator (ICD – to detect and treat
dangerous heart rhythms) and rarely
heart transplantation.
Clinic Staff:
• Dr. Martin Gardner FRCP(C), FACC
• Dr. Chris Gray MD, FRCP(C)
• Victoria Newman-Burd RN, BScN,
CCRP
• Dr. Sarah Dyack, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG
• Amy Crowley MS-CGC
• Julie Hatheway MS-CGC
Looking for more health information?
Contact your local public library for books, videos,
magazine articles and online health information.
For a list of public libraries in Nova Scotia go to
http://publiclibraries.ns.ca
Capital Health promotes a smoke-free and scent-free
environment. Please do not wear perfumed products.
Thank You!
Capital Health, Nova Scotia
www.cdha.nshealth.ca
Funding for the Inherited Heart Disease Clinic
provided by Medtronic of Canada
Prepared by: Inherited Heart Disease Clinic, QEII
Designed and Printed by: CH Audio Visual and
Printing Departments
WG85-0629 Revised Oct. 2011
The information in this pamphlet is
to be updated every 3 years.
2011
DCM:
Dilated
Cardiomyopathy
Inherited Heart Disease
Clinic