Table of Contents
Goals of the treatment include symptom relief, improved cardiac output, shortened hospital stays, fewer ED visits, reversal of injury process, and decreased mortality.
The most common treatments include:
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Medications
Doctors often prescribe medications for dilated cardiomyopathy. The most commonly used are:
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil), ramipril (Altace) or captopril (Capoten)
- Diuretics, such as furosemide (Lasix), can reduce fluid retention.
- Beta blockers — such as atenolol (Tenormin), carvedilol (Coreg) and metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL)
Pacemaker
Another option for some people with abnormal electrocardiograms is a special pacemaker that coordinates the contractions between the left and right ventricle (biventricular pacing). It is a device implanted into the chest to continuously monitor heart rhythm and deliver precisely calibrated electrical shocks when needed to control the abnormal, rapid heartbeats.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Medications
Many doctor may recommend beta blockers such as Lopressor or calcium channel blockers such as Verapamil (Calan, Isoptin), which can relax the patient’s heart.
Pacemaker
For some people, a pacemaker may be recommended.
Operation
In advanced cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a surgeon may remove a portion of the thickened muscle wall that interferes with normal blood flow.
Alcohol ablation
Your doctor may also recommend a new therapy called alcohol ablation. This non-surgical procedure, which uses injected alcohol to destroy the extra heart muscle, may reduce thickening and improve the blood flow.
Restrictive cardiomyopathy
This type of cardiomyopathy can be easily treated. Doctor should recommend the patient to pay careful attention to salt and water intake and monitor weight daily. Fluid retention is treated with diuretics.