What causes DCM?
What causes DCM?
- Most cases of dilated cardiomyopathy are idiopathic (an exact cause is not known)
- Sometimes a viral illness may be responsible
- Occasionally it may be inherited (familial cardiomyopathy)
- Heart valve disease (valvular cardiomyopathy)
- Alcoholism (heavy drinking, alcoholic cardiomyopathy)
- Drug abuse or taking d rugs that are toxic to the heart
- Thyroid disease
- Diabetes
- Women after childbirth (peripartum cardiomyopathy).
When there is no known cause, the condition is called idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. About 1/3 of patients with idiopathic DCM have a family history, called familial dilated cardiomyopathy (ref). Familial DCM is a genetic condition. In rare autosomal dominant inheritance patterns (at least two family member have idiopathic DCM), first degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the condition, and may benefit from risk screening or follow-up by a physician.