Cardiomyopathy Week

The week of September 20-26th (which we are in the middle of) is Cardiomyopathy Week. This week has been organized to raise awareness of cardiomyopathy and the work of the Cardiomyopathy Association, and fundraising for this organization which is based in the United Kingdom.

It looks like they have planned a plethora of activities this week designed to help them meet their goals- such as "as a pub quiz, garden sale or coffee morning." (those are definitely UK terms).

However, cardiomyopathy is a serious subject that deserves some attention. When you think of heart disease, most people think of clogged arteries, cholesterol, heart attacks etc. Cardiomyopathy gets less attention despite it being the biggest medical cause of sudden death of people under 35 years of age.

Cardiomyopathy is a very serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn't work as well as it should. Sometimes it is caused by a congenital defect or by a virus.

Kevin Duckworth, a basketball All-Star recently passed away due to cardiomyopathy.



The American Heart Association states there are three types of cardiomyopathy-

• dilated cardiomyopathy
• hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• restrictive cardiomyopathy

However, the Cardiomyopathy Association page lists two more:

• Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
• Left Ventricular Non-Compaction

Why the difference? The American cardiologists haven't discovered the last two yet? "Just kidding" American doctors who come across this blog.


Dilated cardiomyopathy patients can be helped with stem cell therapy . And here is more information about cardiomyopathy being treated with stem cells in this stem cell video.

Unfortunately, as I check the internet, Cardiomyopathy Week isn't getting much play here in the United States, but it should. Cardiomyopathy is a serious condition that affects thousands of heart patients every year.