Rehabilitation/Prophylaxis
The rehabilitation of cardiomyopathy aims to improve quality of life and life expectancy. This is achieved in particular by means of medication and the prevention (prophylaxis) of other diseases. Important diseases that should be prevented are diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure.
In addition, attention should be paid to nutrition, since poor nutrition can lead to the above-mentioned diseases and can therefore also worsen cardiomyopathy. Regular and controlled exercise reduces the risk of suffering from other diseases and promotes training of the cardiovascular system. Smoking should also be avoided, as it has been proven that smoking is largely responsible for the development of cardiovascular diseases. This is where toxins are produced that attack the vessel walls, and can constrict the coronary vessels in particular.
Prognosis
In primary dilated cardiomyopathy, the course of the disease can either be stable and more or less controlled, or the heart function can deteriorate rapidly. In general, the 5-year survival rate under adequate drug therapy is 20%. Sudden cardiac death is the cause of death in 20-50% of patients.
Patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy usually suffer sudden cardiac death at the age of 10 to 30 years. Here, clinical prognostic factors are used to determine the likelihood of sudden cardiac death. These are, for example, how well the heart is pumping and whether certain laboratory values are elevated.The prognosis of dilated cardiomyopathy depends mainly on the concomitant disease causing the cardiomyopathy and, if applicable, how well the anti-inflammatory therapy responds to the myocardial inflammation.
