User:Mr. Ibrahem/Restrictive cardiomyopathy

Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a disease of heart muscle in which the ventricles do not appropriately relax and fill despite relatively normal contraction. Symptoms may vary from a decreased ability to exercise, to new onset atrial fibrillation, to heart failure. In some sudden cardiac arrest is the first indication of the disease. Other complications may include liver failure and blood clots.

The most common causes are amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis, and Loeffler endocarditis. Other causes include storage diseases, diabetes, scleroderma, radiation therapy, certain medications, and cancer. Diagnosis may be supported by electrocardiogram (ECG), ultrasound of the heart, and endomyocardial biopsy.

There is no cure. Treatment involves addressing the underlying cause and measures to improve heart failure. Heart failure may be treated with diuretics such as furosemide, calcium channel blockers, or beta blockers. For sarcoidosis, antiarrhythmics and immunosuppressants are also commonly used. Hemochromatosis may be treated with removal of blood. In certain cases a heart transplant may be an option.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy is relatively rare. It represents about 5% of cardiomyopathy cases with the hypertrophic and dilated types being more common. Life expectancy follow diagnosis is generally 2 to 5 years. Cases of RCM were described in the the 1930s. Cardiomyopathy; however, was not divided into its three main groups until 1961.