help

[lori400]

my husband was just diagnosed (last week) with dialated cardiomyopathy. i am looking for any information that will help to reverse the condition if possible. any information you can give me will help. thank you

[CCFHeartMD17]

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) can be associated with an enlarged heart and impaired beating function of the heart. Patients with DCM need to be regularly monitored by their cardiologist and the long term use of medications is normally required.
Depending on the beating function of your husband’s heart (called the ejection fraction) and your symptoms, his cardiologist will adjust his medications and offer any additional therapies that may improve his heart’s function.
It is not always possible to reverse the underlying disorder but with careful monitoring by a cardiologist and strict compliance by your husband with dietary recommendations and medications, it is generally possible to control symptoms.

In terms of resources for further reading, the American Heart Association has very good information for people with impaired heart beating ability (also sometimes called heart failure) which can be found at http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartFailure/AboutHeartFailure/About-Heart-Failure_UCM_002044_Article.jsp
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation also specific information on dilated cardiomyopathy which you and you husband might find useful to review.
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/heartfailure/dilated_cardiomyopathy.aspx

[ed34]

The first thing to do is try and establish the cause, if possible. If the cause is continuing, then you could be fighting an uphill battle. For example, alcohol/drug abuse, autoimmune problem where the body is attacking the heart muscle, certain types of infection, leaky valves, abnormal heart rhythm over long period of time, toxic elements such as lead in the blood. There is also the possibility that it's a genetic disorder which would mean the cause cannot be stopped. Another possibility is thyroid gland disorder.
The only other treatment is medication. Coenzyme Q10 used in treating heart failure has shown some impressive results. Blood pressure should be kept as low as possible to give the heart an easier job and anticoagulants.
Just a few years ago, the outlook for DCM was grim, but knowledge has grown and with proper medication the outlook has far improved.