Sarcoidosis—Cardiomyopathy

Also called: Dilated cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Myocardiopathy, Restrictive cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is the name for diseases of the heart muscle. These diseases enlarge your heart muscle or make it thicker and more rigid than normal. In rare cases, scar tissue replaces the muscle tissue.

Some people live long, healthy lives with cardiomyopathy. Some people don’t even realize they have it. In others, however, it can make the heart less able to pump blood through the body. This can cause serious complications, including

• Heart failure
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Heart valve problems
• Sudden cardiac arrest

Heart attacks, high blood pressure, infections, and other diseases can all cause cardiomyopathy. Some types of cardiomyopathy run in families. In many people, however, the cause is unknown. Treatment might involve medicines, surgery, other medical procedures, and lifestyle changes.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

• Cardiomyopathy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Dilated cardiomyopathy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Electrocardiogram (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Medical Encyclopedia)

Sarcoidosis is a disease that leads to inflammation, usually in your lungs, skin, or lymph nodes. It starts as tiny, grain-like lumps, called granulomas. Sarcoidosis can affect any organ in your body.

No one is sure what causes sarcoidosis. It affects men and women of all ages and races. It occurs mostly in people ages 20 to 50, African Americans, especially women, and people of Northern European origin.

Many people have no symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include

• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Weight loss
• Night sweats
• Fatigue

Tests to diagnose sarcoidosis include chest x-rays, lung function tests, and a biopsy. Not everyone who has the disease needs treatment. If you do, prednisone, a type of steroid, is the main treatment.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

• ACE blood test (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Neurosarcoidosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pulmonary function tests (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Sarcoidosis (Medical Encyclopedia)