Cardiomyopathy Causes

In many cases, the exact cause is not known. Possible causes include:

Dilated

The cause of the initial damage is often not found, but may include:

• Coronary Artery Disease with decreased blood flow to the heart
• Infections, usually viral
• Chronic exposure to toxins, including alcohol and some chemotherapy drugs
• A rare complication of pregnancy or childbirth (probably immune-related)
• Rarely, other illnesses, including Rheumatoid Arthritis , diabetes, or thyroid disease

Hypertrophic

Causes may include:

• Inherited (sometimes present at birth but often developing in teens)
• Aging, associated with hypertension

Restrictive

This is usually related to another condition, such as:

• Amyloidosis -protein fibers collect in the heart muscle
• Sarcoidosis -small inflammatory masses (granulomas) form in many organs
• Hemochromatosis -too much iron in the body