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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: medications
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Re: medications
by Cleveland Clinic, MD, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on October 29, 1998 at 17:25:33:
In Reply to: medications posted by marilyn on October 28, 1998 at 14:08:54:
My husband was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy 5 years ago. He seems to be remaining stable to this point. Yesterday he started on Coreg. My question is this...He was already taking Lanoxin, Toprol and Zestril, his cardiologist said that Coreg is an additional medication to those, not a replacer of the Toprol and Zestril. I thought that the Coreg acted in a manner similar to both Toprol and Zestril, why would he add Coreg on top of these medications without taking the others away?
Also, I read a study that stated 2/3 of people with Cardiomyopathy die within five years, but I cannot find a study for what happens to the other 1/3 beyond those five years. Can you direct me to any longitudinal studies done on patients with Cariomyopathy and their life expectancies?
Thank you....Marilyn B.
_______
Dear marilyn,
Thank you for your question. Although we cannot comment on specific medical treatment I can give you some general information on cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a "weakness" of the heart muscle that can be due to ischemia (lack of blood flow - the most common), viral (more common in young people), idiopathic (unknown cause but probably viral) and several rare conditions. It is usually diagnosed by history and an echocardiogram. Occasionally a heart muscle biopsy is performed.
Symptoms are shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, chest discomfort and palpitations and increased fatigue. Treatment is usually medical and in severe cases heart transplant. About a third of patients get worse with some going on to transplant. Another third stay the same and are managed well with medical therapy and the rest get better.
A: How often should one (someone with cardiomyopathy) have their EF checked?
Q: This will vary from doctor to doctor but generally every 6 months to a year.
Q: Does the EF% have anything to do with a person's energy level?
A: Someone with a decreased EF may feel more fatigued.
Q: What is the average life years expectancy of a person with Dialated Cardiomyopathy?
A: This will vary considerably depending upon the severity of the illness. Some people may die within months to years and others go on to have normal lifespans.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
In Reply to: medications posted by marilyn on October 28, 1998 at 14:08:54:
My husband was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy 5 years ago. He seems to be remaining stable to this point. Yesterday he started on Coreg. My question is this...He was already taking Lanoxin, Toprol and Zestril, his cardiologist said that Coreg is an additional medication to those, not a replacer of the Toprol and Zestril. I thought that the Coreg acted in a manner similar to both Toprol and Zestril, why would he add Coreg on top of these medications without taking the others away?
Also, I read a study that stated 2/3 of people with Cardiomyopathy die within five years, but I cannot find a study for what happens to the other 1/3 beyond those five years. Can you direct me to any longitudinal studies done on patients with Cariomyopathy and their life expectancies?
Thank you....Marilyn B.
_______
Dear marilyn,
Thank you for your question. Although we cannot comment on specific medical treatment I can give you some general information on cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a "weakness" of the heart muscle that can be due to ischemia (lack of blood flow - the most common), viral (more common in young people), idiopathic (unknown cause but probably viral) and several rare conditions. It is usually diagnosed by history and an echocardiogram. Occasionally a heart muscle biopsy is performed.
Symptoms are shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, chest discomfort and palpitations and increased fatigue. Treatment is usually medical and in severe cases heart transplant. About a third of patients get worse with some going on to transplant. Another third stay the same and are managed well with medical therapy and the rest get better.
A: How often should one (someone with cardiomyopathy) have their EF checked?
Q: This will vary from doctor to doctor but generally every 6 months to a year.
Q: Does the EF% have anything to do with a person's energy level?
A: Someone with a decreased EF may feel more fatigued.
Q: What is the average life years expectancy of a person with Dialated Cardiomyopathy?
A: This will vary considerably depending upon the severity of the illness. Some people may die within months to years and others go on to have normal lifespans.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
