General measures
- Nicotine and alcohol restriction (refrain from tobacco and alcohol consumption) – cardiotoxic (heart damaging) noxae!
- Review of permanent medication due topossible impact on the existing disease.
- No drugs – cardiotoxic noxae!
Conventional non-surgical therapy methods
Dilated (dilated) cardiomyopathy (DCM).
- For increased risk of ventricular fibrillation: ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) implantation.
Hypertrophic (enlarged) cardiomyopathy (HCM).
- The only therapeutic intervention with a proven life-prolonging effect in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the insertion of an ICD.
- For the treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) is considered as an interventional therapeutic measure (targeted intervention on the diseased tissue). Using a cardiac catheter, the first septal branch of the ramus interventricularis anterior (RIVA; LAD) is first accessed and temporarily occluded with a balloon. Localized septal myocardial necrosis is then induced by injecting alcohol as accurately as possible. The area shrinks and the obstruction (narrowing) decreases over the following months.The success rate is >90%, and the lethality (mortality relative to the total number of people with the disease) is <2%. In about 10% of cases, a permanent AV block III (atrioventricular block; resulting from conduction disturbances from the atrium to the ventricle) is caused, so that the need for implantation of a pacemaker.
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVCM).
- ICD implantation
Isolated (ventricular) noncompaction cardiomyopathy (NCCM).
- Possible ICD implantation
Vaccinations
The following vaccinations are advised, as infection can often lead to worsening of the present disease:
- Flu vaccination
- Pneumococcal vaccination
Regular checkups
- Regular medical checkups
Nutritional medicine
- Nutritional counseling based on nutritional analysis
- Nutritional recommendations according to a mixed diet taking into account the disease at hand. This means, among other things:
- Daily total of 5 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits (≥ 400 g; 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits).
- Once or twice a week fresh sea fish, i.e. fatty marine fish (omega-3 fatty acids) such as salmon, herring, mackerel.
- High-fiber diet (whole grains, vegetables).
- Selection of appropriate food based on the nutritional analysis
- See also under “Therapy with micronutrients (vital substances)” – if necessary, taking a suitable dietary supplement.
- Detailed information on nutritional medicine you will receive from us.
Sports Medicine
- Regular exercise adapted to the form of cardiomyopathy. Immobilization is discouraged because dosed moderate physical training shows beneficial effects (eg, in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Further studies are awaited!
- Cave: In the context of hypertrophic and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, heavy physical exertion should be avoided (no sports) because of the risk of sudden death!
- For detailed information on sports medicine, please contact us.
