Cardiology Conference-CVC 2026

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous collection of diseases that primarily impact the heart muscle structure and function, typically resulting in heart failure, arrhythmias, or sudden cardiac death. The conditions may be genetic, acquired, or idiopathic and fall into broad categories: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is defined by ventricular enlargement and dysfunction of contraction, frequently leading to heart failure and arrhythmias. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) refers to thickening of the heart muscle in a way that the blood flow through the thickened part of the heart muscle is compromised and there is a high risk of sudden cardiac death. Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) decreases the heart's capacity for filling normally and causes diastolic dysfunction. Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy typically involves the right ventricle and puts patients at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias.

Diagnosis entails a mixture of clinical examination, echocardiography, cardiac MRI, genetics testing, and electrocardiography to determine the structure of the heart, its function, and its electrical activity.

Treatment is based on the severity and type of the disease. It can involve medications like beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, or antiarrhythmics, device therapy in the form of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and, in some cases, heart transplantation. Lifestyle changes, frequent monitoring, and genetic counseling are also important aspects of treatment.

With imaging, genetic, and interventional therapy advances, the management of cardiomyopathy has become much better, allowing personalized approaches to care that improve patient outcomes, quality of life, and survival.""