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People who died from Cardiomyopathy

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Beers, Brenner, Canode, Church and 15 others
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Please add the profiles of those with Cardiomyopathy as a primary cause of death or contributing factor.

Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that makes the heart muscle, especially the left ventricle, abnormal, making it harder for the heart to pump & deliver blood to the rest of the body. The heart has become either enlarged, abnormally thick, abnormally rigid, or unable to transmit electrical impulses in a normal fashion. Early on there may be few or no symptoms. Some people may have shortness of breath, feel tired, or have swelling of the legs due to heart failure. An irregular heart beat may occur as well as fainting. Those affected are at an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (heart failure).

The main types of cardiomyopathy are:

1. Dilated cardiomyopathy (the ventricles -- esp. the left, the main pumping chamber -- enlarge and weaken & can’t pump blood effectively)

  • The most common type, occurring mostly in adults 20-60.
  • Can also lead to heart valve problems, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and blood clots in the heart.
  • About 20-30% of cases are thought to run in families, but the exact genes are unknown
  • Fifty percent of patients die within 2 years; 25% of patients survive longer than 5 years. The two most common causes of death are progressive cardiac failure and arrythmia.  
  • For more info see: AHA - Dilated Cardiomyopathy 2. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (heart muscle enlarges and thickens, esp. the left ventricle)
  • Can affect people of any age; most cases are inherited
  • Affects men & women equally
  • Is a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, including young athletes
  • The overall annual mortality from sudden death is 3-5% in adults and at least 6% in children and young adults. However, severity of disease and prognosis varies widely according to the genetic features involved. Certain genes are associated with a worse prognosis.
  • For more info see: AHA - Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy 3. Restrictive cardiomyopathy (the ventricle stiffens)
  • Tends to affect older adults
  • The worst prognosis is in patients with cardiac amyloidosis, in whom disease may recur after transplantation. Overall this disease has a poor diagnosis with many patients dying within a year of the diagnosis.
  • For more info see: AHA - Restrictive Cardiomyopathy 4. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (the muscle tissue in the right ventricle dies and is replaced with scar tissue.)
  • Usually affects teens or young adults. It can cause sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes
  • This condition often leads to heart failure and sudden cardiac death as people are often unaware they have this condition as it is assymptomatic.
  • For more info see: {{AHA - Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia}}

5. Left Ventricular Non-compaction (LVNC) - (trabeculations in left ventricle do not become sponge-like to smooth and solid)

  • Largely a genetic condition. When an individual is diagnosed with LVNC, there is a 20 to 40 percent chance than an underlying genetic cause will be identified. Most commonly, the genetic cause results in a condition that runs in a family and affects only the heart.
  • For more info see: Cincinnati Children’s - Cardiomyopathy

6. Some other types of cardiomyopathy are called "unclassified cardiomyopathy."

7. Yet another type is "stress-induced cardiomyopathy", also known as broken heart syndrome.

All ages and races can have cardiomyopathy, but certain types of the disease are more common in certain groups. Dilated cardiomyopathy is more common in African-Americans than in whites. It is also more prevalent in men than in women. Teens and young adults are more likely than older people to have arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, although it's rare in both groups.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is very common and dilated cardiomyopathy in a third of cases, is inherited from a person's parents. Dilated cardiomyopathy may also result from alcohol, heavy metals, coronary heart disease, cocaine use, and viral infections. Restrictive cardiomyopathy may be caused by amyloidosis, hemochromatosis, and some cancer treatments. Broken heart syndrome is caused by extreme emotional or physical stress.

The cause is frequently unknown. In some people, however, it's the result of another condition (acquired) or passed on from a parent (inherited).

Major Risk Factors


Certain diseases, conditions or factors can raise your risk for cardiomyopathy. Among the major risk factors are:

  • Family history of cardiomyopathy, heart failure or sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)
  • A disease or condition that can lead to cardiomyopathy, such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, heart valve problems, or a viral infection that inflames the heart muscle
  • Metabolic disease or disorders, such as diabetes, thyroid disease, or severe obesity
  • Diseases that can damage the heart, such as hemochromatosis (iron buildup in heart muscle), sarcoidosis (causes inflammation & can cause lumps of cells to grow in heart) or amyloidosis (causes buildup of abnormal proteins in heart)
  • Long-term alcoholism
  • Long-term high blood pressure
  • Nutritional deficiencies of essential vitamins or minerals, such as thiamin (vitamin B-1)
  • Pregnancy complications
  • Use of cocaine, amphetamines or anabolic steroids
  • Certain infections, especially those that inflame the heart
  • Connective tissue disorders
  • Certain types of chemotherapy for cancer

Cardiomyopathies can be classified using different criteria:

  • Primary/intrinsic cardiomyopathies
    • Genetic
      • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
      • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
      • LV non-compaction
      • Ion Channelopathies
      • Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
      • Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM)
    • Acquired
      • Stress cardiomyopathy
      • Myocarditis
      • Ischemic cardiomyopathy
  • Secondary/extrinsic cardiomyopathies
    • Metabolic/storage
      • Fabry's disease
      • hemochromatosis
    • Endomyocardial
      • Endomyocardial fibrosis
      • Hypereosinophilic syndrome
    • Endocrine
      • diabetes mellitus
      • hyperthyroidism
      • acromegaly
    • Cardiofacial
      • Noonan syndrome
    • Neuromuscular
      • muscular dystrophy
      • Friedreich's ataxia
    • Other
      • Obesity-associated cardiomyopathy

Facts About Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

  • 1. HCM has an incidence rate of 5 per every 1 million children. It can develop in people at any age and it may or may not cause symptoms.
  • 2. In the general population, this heart muscle disease may occur in every 1 out of 500 people.
  • 3. 500,000. That’s the number of people in the United States that have HCM.
  • 4. Children under the age of 12 account for less than 10% of the total known cases of this disorder.
  • 5. It is estimated that up to 60% of children with HCM have a relative with the disease.
  • 6. In less than 10% of patients, the disease may progress to a point where the heart muscle thins and the left ventricle dilates resulting in reduced heart function.
  • 7. HCM is the most common cause of heart-related sudden death in people under 30 years of age. It is also the most common cause of sudden death in athletes.
  • 8. 75% of patients with HCM do not have obstruction to the outflow of blood from the left ventricle and a loud heart murmur is therefore absent.
  • 9. HCM has severe enough complications to lead to death in 1 out of every 10 people. 6% died suddenly and about 4% had congestive heart failure.
  • 10. HCM is caused by mutations in any one of 12 genes and appears in 50% of individuals in each generation.
  • 11. Mortality rates for HCM in adults are only about 1% per year and are not dissimilar to the general US adult population for all causes.
  • 12. The mortality rate in children when HCM is present: 6%.
  • 13. 90-95% of people with HCM will see the thickening process of their heart stop once they achieve full growth and maturity.
  • 14. 1 in 2 women with HCM may never receive a diagnosis of their condition.
  • 15. 10,000. That’s the number of people who are expected to die because of their HCM in the next 12 months.
  • 16. Men and women of all ages and races can have HCM.
  • 17. Each child of a parent with HCM has a 50% chance of inheriting the condition.
  • 18. Genetic testing is the only reliable way to identify unaffected family members who may need to be screened for sudden death risk factors.

Some other statistics:

  • Treatment depends on the type of cardiomyopathy and the degree of symptoms. Treatments may include lifestyle changes, medications, or surgery.
  • In 2013 cardiomyopathy and myocarditis affected 7.9 million people.
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects about 1 in 500 people while dilated cardiomyopathy affects 1 in 2,500. They resulted in 443,000 deaths up from 294,000 in 1990.
  • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is more common in young people.
  • Today’s treatments from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have improved so much that mortality in adults from the disease is close to death rates in the general population, says a new study from America.

References & additional reading:

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