what is dcm

DCM stands for Dilated Cardiomyopathy, which is a type of heart muscle disease that causes the heart chambers to thin and stretch, growing larger. It occurs when the hearts main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, becomes enlarged and loses its ability to contract. As the chamber gets bigger, the heart muscle becomes weaker and cannot pump blood as well as it normally would, leading to heart failure. DCM is somewhat uncommon, but not rare, and it affects men more often than women and tends to occur in adults ages 20 to 60 years old. The causes of DCM can be many, such as infections, autoimmune diseases, genetics, and alcohol abuse. The symptoms of DCM include fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck, and irregular heartbeats. Treatment of DCM may include medications, surgery to implant a medical device that controls the heartbeat or helps the heart pump blood, or a heart transplant.