What kind of Cardiomyopathy did my dad die from?!
Question: What kind of Cardiomyopathy did my dad die from?
HEART: Congestion
LUNG: Congestion. Edema. Several intra-alveolar macrophages, pigmented and nonpigmented.
LIVER: Portal triaditis, mild. Steatosis, mild.
KIDNEY AND BRAIN:NO SIGNIFICANT HISTOPATHOLOGIC CHANGE.
CAUSEE OF DEATH: CARDIOMYOPATHY
MANNER OF DEATH: NATURAL
We want to know if it's genetic. My grandfather is 77 and has a pace-maker but it otherwise healthy...
Answers:
Cardiomyopathies can definitely be genetic in origin which includes Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy. These are the most common cardiomyopathies and of these three, two could be the culprit.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) means the left ventricle that is responsible for pumping the blood to the body in enlarged, resulting in less efficient pump which in turn leads to a back-up of fluid in the lungs as evidenced by congestion this can lead to sudden cardiac death.
The other is dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) which means the left ventricle is thinned and ballooned out which in turn causes an inefficient pump that leads to congestion in the lungs. DCM can have causes other than genetic like inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), chronic high blood pressure, alcoholism and injury to the heart as related to coronary artery disease.
www.heart-disease-and-prevention.com/car…
Sorry about your dad. He may well have had just what you thought, a cold. Unfortunately, some viruses that don't bother some patients, kill others by attacking the heart.
The exact cause of most cardiomyopathies are unknown.
Is it genetic? Doubtful. But since the exact cause isn't known, then you can't say that your risk is x.x%.
It's not like some families with premature coronary disease where most people drop dead by a certain age.
Stay active & eat healthy. If you smoke, stop.
God bless.
PA