Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) the main pumping chambers of the heart are dilated and contract poorly. This results in a reduced volume of blood (low output) pumped around the body which fails to meet the body’s demand and features of what is commonly known as heart failure. There is a build up of fluid in […]
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Read personal stories from myheart members with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy here. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition where the heart muscle becomes thickened. Traditionally, the term HCM was used for disease caused by abnormalities in genes which make the proteins responsible for contraction of the heart (sarcomeric contractile proteins). More recently the definition of HCM has […]
Long QT syndrome (LQTS)
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an ion channelopathy. Ion channelopathies (also sometimes referred to as arrhythmia syndromes or cardiac channelopathies)affect the electrical functioning of the heart without affecting the heart’s structure. They are a group of rare genetic conditions that are caused by abnormalities of the DNA known as mutations. They are usually inherited from parents although they can occur for the first time in a person. (If they occur for the first time they are described as sporadic.)
Myocarditis
Read personal stories from myheart members with myocarditis here. Read Dr Sabiha Gati’s interview on myocarditis here. The term myocarditis refers to inflammation of the heart muscle. It is most often due to viral illness. Other causes include drug abuse and autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Viral myocarditis is relatively common, but most cases […]
Progressive cardiac conduction defect (PCCD)
Progressive cardiac conduction defect (PCCD) is a rare condition. In people with PCCD, the heart’s electrical impulses are conducted very slowly and this results in the gradual development over time of heart block. (Heart block is a failure of the heart’s electrical impulse to conduct properly from the top chambers [the atria] to the bottom […]
Short QT syndrome (SQTS)
This rare condition is similar to but distinct from long QT syndrome (LQTS). As the name suggests the QT interval in carriers is shorter than in normal people. This means that the heart takes a shorter time to repolarise or reset itself,making it prone to ventricular arrhythmias. There is also an increased risk of a […]
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW)
Read personal stories from myheart member with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome here. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) results from an additional electrical connection between the upper chambers of the heart (atria) and the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). This extra or accessory electrical pathway is present in approximately 1 in every 300-500 people. WPW is rarely inherited through the […]