Hardening of the heart is hereditary and you can inherit hardening of the heart although it can also occur in other ways as well.
Hardening of the heart is often caused by genetic mutations passed down from parents to children and the mutations affect proteins that are involved in muscle contraction and result in excessive thickening of the heart muscle.
If one parent has hardening of the heart or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, then there's a 50 percent chance their child will also inherit the condition and even with a genetic predisposition, not everyone that has the faulty gene will develop symptoms.
Hardening of the heart can refer to atherosclerosis or even hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque in your arteries.
And hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is when your heart muscle thickens.
Atherosclerosis can result in heart attacks and strokes and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can cause chest pain, shortness of breath and other symptoms and can even result in heart failure if left untreated.
The four signs of cardiomyopathy are shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the ankles or legs and heart palpitations.
Heart palpitations are irregular or pounding heartbeats, which can be felt in your chest.
Swelling in your ankles or your legs can occur with cardiomyopathy as a result of fluid buildup in your lower extremities due to poor blood circulation.
Fatigue, in which you often feel tired or weak even with little activity is also another sign of cardiomyopathy.
And shortness of breath, in which you have difficulty breathing, especially during any exertion or when lying down can occur with cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of your heart muscle, which makes it harder for your heart to pump blood as effectively as it normally could.
Cardiomyopathy can be caused by various different factors, including heart conditions, genetics and even lifestyle choices including not getting enough physical activity or exercise and living a sedentary life.
Treatment options for cardiomyopathy vary, depending on the severity and type of cardiomyopathy, but treatment options for cardiomyopathy include medication, surgery and in some cases a heart transplant.
Most people with cardiomyopathy, especially those with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can expect to live a normal or at least near normal lifespan with proper care and management and lifestyle adjustments.
Although some forms of cardiomyopathy can also lead to severe heart failure and can in some cases reduce life expectancy significantly.