cardiomyopathy

[ kahr-dee-oh-mahy-op-uh-thee ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. any disease of the heart muscle, leading to decreased function: usually of unknown cause.

cardiomyopathy

/ ˌkɑːdɪəʊmaɪˈɒpəθɪ /

noun

1. pathol a disease of the heart muscle usually caused by a biochemical defect or a toxin such as alcohol

cardiomyopathy

/ kär′dē-ō-mī-ŏp′ə-thē /

1. Any of various structural or functional abnormalities of the cardiac muscle, usually characterized by loss of muscle efficiency and sometimes heart failure. Cardiomyopathy can result from numerous causes, including congenital defects, acute or chronic infections, coronary artery disease, drugs and toxins, metabolic disorders, connective tissue disorders, or nutritional deficiencies. In some patients, the cause is unknown.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cardiomyopathy¹

First recorded in 1960–65; cardio- + myopathy

Example Sentences

Estimates of the prevalence of cardiomyopathy genes range from about one in every 500 people to one in 200.

From Outside Online

Whether or not Verwijs’s hypothesis pans out, it’s clear that being a competitive athlete, no matter young and fit you are, doesn’t protect you from cardiomyopathies.

From Outside Online

Dan Ring says that within minutes of learning that she had peripartum cardiomyopathy, Lacie began reading about the disease.

From Popular-Science

A properly diagnosed cardiomyopathy patient usually mends—like most romantic heartbreak—within a month or two.

From The Daily Beast

It existed in humans, under the name of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

From The Daily Beast

Cardiologists discovered Takotsubo cardiomyopathy just a few years ago.

From The Daily Beast