Heart Muscle Disease (Cardiomyopathy)

Many people with heart muscle disease have no symptoms or only minor symptoms, and live a normal life. Other people develop symptoms, which progress and worsen as heart function worsens.

Symptoms can occur at any age and may include:

• Chest pain or pressure (occurs usually with exercise or physical activity, but can also occur with rest or after meals).
• Heart failure symptoms (see above).
• Swelling of the lower extremities.
• Fatigue.
• Fainting.
• Palpitations (fluttering in the chest due to abnormal heart rhythms).

Some people also have arrhythmias. These can lead to sudden death in a small number of people with cardiomyopathy.