Dilated cardiomyopathy
Encyclopedia
Dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM is a condition in which the heart
becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently. The decreased heart function can affect the lungs, liver, and other body systems.
DCM is one of the cardiomyopathies
, a group of diseases that primarily affect the myocardium (the muscle
of the heart
). Different cardiomyopathies have different causes and affect the heart in different ways. In DCM a portion of the myocardium is dilated, often without any obvious cause. Left or right ventricular systolic
pump function of the heart is impaired, leading to progressive cardiac enlargement and hypertrophy, a process called remodeling.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common form of non-ischemic
cardiomyopathy. It occurs more frequently in men than in women, and is most common between the ages of 20 and 60 years. About one in three cases of congestive heart failure
(CHF) is due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy also occurs in children.
) is apparent, dilated cardiomyopathy is probably the result of damage to the myocardium produced by a variety of toxic, metabolic, or infectious
agents. It may be due to fibrous change of the myocardium from a previous myocardial infarction
. Or, it may be the late sequel of acute viral
myocarditis
, such as with coxsackievirus B and other enterovirus
es, possibly mediated through an immunologic mechanism. Autoimmune mechanisms are also suggested as a cause for dilated cardiomyopathy.
Dilated cardiomyopathy can also be caused by alcohol
abuse (Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
), or other toxic exposure, although the cause-and-effect relationship with alcohol alone is debated. Nonalcoholic toxic insults include administration of certain chemotherapeutic agents, particularly doxorubicin
(Adriamycin), and cobalt
.
Other potential causes include thyroid disease
, stimulant
use, and chronic uncontrolled tachycardia
. Many cases of dilated cardiomyopathy are described as idiopathic - meaning that the cause is unknown.
Recent studies have shown that those subjects who have an extremely high occurrence (several thousands a day) of premature ventricular contractions (extrasystole) can develop dilated cardiomyopathy. In these cases, if the extrasystole are reduced or removed (for example, via ablation therapy) the cardiomyopathy usually regresses.
Dilated cardiomyopathy also occurs more frequently in pregnancy
than in the normal population. It occurs late in gestation or several weeks to months postpartum as a peripartum cardiomyopathy
. It is reversible in half of cases.
s affecting genes encoding cytoskeletal proteins, while some affect other proteins involved in contraction. The disease is genetically heterogeneous, but the most common form of its transmission is an autosomal dominant pattern.
Autosomal recessive (as found, for example, in Alström syndrome
), X-linked (as in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
), and mitochondrial
inheritance of the disease is also found. Some relatives of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy have preclinical, asymptomatic heart-muscle changes. Other cytoskeletal proteins involved in DCM include α-cardiac actin, desmin
, and the nuclear lamins A and C. Mitochondrial deletions and mutations presumably cause DCM by altering myocardial ATP generation.
Although the disease is more common in African-Americans than in Caucasians, it may occur in any patient population.
Associations include:
Vague chest pain may be present, but typical angina pectoris is unusual and suggests the presence of ischemic heart disease as well. Syncope
due to arrhythmias and systemic embolism
may occur.
. In advanced stages of the disease, the pulse pressure
is narrowed and the jugular venous pressure
is elevated. Third and fourth heart sounds are common. Mitral or tricuspid regurgitation may occur, presented by systolic murmur
s upon auscultation
(see mitral regurgitation
and tricuspid insufficiency
for more details about the findings).
. Pleural effusion
may also be noticed, which is due to pulmonary venous hypertension.
The electrocardiogram
often shows sinus tachycardia
or atrial fibrillation
, ventricular arrhythmias, left atrial abnormality, and sometimes intraventricular conduction defects and low voltage. Echocardiogram shows left ventricular dilatation with normal or thinned walls and reduced ejection fraction
. Cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography are often performed to exclude ischemic heart disease.
or ventricular tachy- or bradyarrhythmias.
Patients are given the standard therapy for heart failure, typically including salt restriction, angiotensin-converting enzyme
(ACE) inhibitors, diuretic
s, and digitalis
. Anticoagulants may also be used. Alcohol should be avoided. Artificial pacemaker
s may be used in patients with intraventricular conduction delay, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
s in those at risk of arrhythmia. These forms of treatment have been shown to improve symptoms and reduce hospitalization.
In patients with advanced disease who are refractory to medical therapy, cardiac transplantation
may be considered.
. The concept of cardiac remodeling was initially developed to describe changes which occur in the days and months following myocardial infarction. It has been extended to cardiomyopathies of non-ischemic origin, such as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy or chronic myocarditis, suggesting common mechanisms for the progression of cardiac dysfunction. Literally, reverse remodeling is the process of reversing the remodeling, or in other words,it is a process of a temporary or a permanent correction of the heart. A 2004 article gives a description of the current therapies that support reverse remodeling and suggests a new approach to the prognosis of cardiomyopathies.
are promoted by some, including food supplements Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine, Taurine and D-Ribose, and there is some evidence for the benefits of Coenzyme Q10 in treating heart failure.
, Dobermann
, Great Dane
, Irish Wolfhound
and St Bernard
. Treatment is based on medication, including ACE inhibitors, loop diuretics and phosphodiesterase inhibitors.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is also a disease affecting some cat breeds, including the Oriental Shorthair
, Burmese
, Persian, and Abyssinian
. As opposed to these hereditary forms, non-hereditary DCM used to be common in the overall cat population before the addition of taurine to commercial cat food.
There is also a high incidence of heritable dilated cardiomyopathy in captive Golden Hamster
s (mesocricetus auratus), thanks in no small part to their being highly inbred
. The incidence is high enough that several strains of Golden Hamster have been developed to serve as animal models in clinical testing for human forms of the disease.
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently. The decreased heart function can affect the lungs, liver, and other body systems.
DCM is one of the cardiomyopathies
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy, which literally means "heart muscle disease," is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both. Cardiomyopathy can often go undetected, making it especially dangerous to...
, a group of diseases that primarily affect the myocardium (the muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
of the heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
). Different cardiomyopathies have different causes and affect the heart in different ways. In DCM a portion of the myocardium is dilated, often without any obvious cause. Left or right ventricular systolic
Systole (medicine)
Systole is the contraction of the heart. Used alone, it usually means the contraction of the left ventricle.In all mammals, the heart has 4 chambers. The left and right ventricles pump together. The atria and ventricles pump in sequence...
pump function of the heart is impaired, leading to progressive cardiac enlargement and hypertrophy, a process called remodeling.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common form of non-ischemic
Ischemia
In medicine, ischemia is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. It may also be spelled ischaemia or ischæmia...
cardiomyopathy. It occurs more frequently in men than in women, and is most common between the ages of 20 and 60 years. About one in three cases of congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
(CHF) is due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy also occurs in children.
Causes
Although in many cases no cause (etiologyEtiology
Etiology is the study of causation, or origination. The word is derived from the Greek , aitiologia, "giving a reason for" ....
) is apparent, dilated cardiomyopathy is probably the result of damage to the myocardium produced by a variety of toxic, metabolic, or infectious
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
agents. It may be due to fibrous change of the myocardium from a previous myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. Or, it may be the late sequel of acute viral
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
myocarditis
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle . It resembles a heart attack but coronary arteries are not blocked.Myocarditis is most often due to infection by common viruses, such as parvovirus B19, less commonly non-viral pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi or Trypanosoma cruzi, or as a...
, such as with coxsackievirus B and other enterovirus
Enterovirus
Enteroviruses are a genus of ssRNA viruses associated with several human and mammalian diseases. Serologic studies have distinguished 66 human enterovirus serotypes on the basis of antibody neutralization tests. Additional antigenic variants have been defined within several of the serotypes on the...
es, possibly mediated through an immunologic mechanism. Autoimmune mechanisms are also suggested as a cause for dilated cardiomyopathy.
Dilated cardiomyopathy can also be caused by alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
abuse (Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the chronic long-term abuse of alcohol leads to heart failure. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a type of dilated cardiomyopathy. Due to the direct toxic effects of alcohol on heart muscle, the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently, leading to heart...
), or other toxic exposure, although the cause-and-effect relationship with alcohol alone is debated. Nonalcoholic toxic insults include administration of certain chemotherapeutic agents, particularly doxorubicin
Doxorubicin
Doxorubicin INN is a drug used in cancer chemotherapy. It is an anthracycline antibiotic, closely related to the natural product daunomycin, and like all anthracyclines, it works by intercalating DNA....
(Adriamycin), and cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
.
Other potential causes include thyroid disease
Thyroid disease
-Hyper- and hypofunction:Imbalance in production of thyroid hormones arises from dysfunction of the thyroid gland itself, the pituitary gland, which produces thyroid-stimulating hormone , or the hypothalamus, which regulates the pituitary gland via thyrotropin-releasing hormone . Concentrations of...
, stimulant
Stimulant
Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both. Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others...
use, and chronic uncontrolled tachycardia
Tachycardia
Tachycardia comes from the Greek words tachys and kardia . Tachycardia typically refers to a heart rate that exceeds the normal range for a resting heart rate...
. Many cases of dilated cardiomyopathy are described as idiopathic - meaning that the cause is unknown.
Recent studies have shown that those subjects who have an extremely high occurrence (several thousands a day) of premature ventricular contractions (extrasystole) can develop dilated cardiomyopathy. In these cases, if the extrasystole are reduced or removed (for example, via ablation therapy) the cardiomyopathy usually regresses.
Dilated cardiomyopathy also occurs more frequently in pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
than in the normal population. It occurs late in gestation or several weeks to months postpartum as a peripartum cardiomyopathy
Peripartum cardiomyopathy
Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that is defined as deterioration in cardiac function presenting typically between the last month of pregnancy and up to five months postpartum...
. It is reversible in half of cases.
Genetics
About 25-35% of patients have familial forms of the disease, with most mutationMutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
s affecting genes encoding cytoskeletal proteins, while some affect other proteins involved in contraction. The disease is genetically heterogeneous, but the most common form of its transmission is an autosomal dominant pattern.
Autosomal recessive (as found, for example, in Alström syndrome
Alstrom syndrome
Alström syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the gene ALMS1. It is among the rarest genetic disorders in the world, as currently it has only 266 reported cases in medical literature and over 501 known cases in 47 countries. It was first described by Carl-Henry Alström in...
), X-linked (as in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a recessive X-linked form of muscular dystrophy, which results in muscle degeneration, difficulty walking, breathing, and death. The incidence is 1 in 3,000 boys. Females and males are affected, though females are rarely affected and are more often carriers...
), and mitochondrial
Mitochondrial disease
Mitochondrial diseases are a group of disorders caused by dysfunctional mitochondria, the organelles that are the "powerhouses" of the cell. Mitochondria are found in every cell of the human body except red blood cells...
inheritance of the disease is also found. Some relatives of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy have preclinical, asymptomatic heart-muscle changes. Other cytoskeletal proteins involved in DCM include α-cardiac actin, desmin
Desmin
Desmin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DES gene.Desmin is a type III intermediate filament found near the Z line in sarcomeres. It was first described in 1976, first purified in 1977, the gene was cloned in 1989, and the first knock-out mouse was created in 1996. Desmin is only...
, and the nuclear lamins A and C. Mitochondrial deletions and mutations presumably cause DCM by altering myocardial ATP generation.
Although the disease is more common in African-Americans than in Caucasians, it may occur in any patient population.
Associations include:
| Type | OMIM | Gene Gene A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains... |
Locus Locus (genetics) In the fields of genetics and genetic computation, a locus is the specific location of a gene or DNA sequence on a chromosome. A variant of the DNA sequence at a given locus is called an allele. The ordered list of loci known for a particular genome is called a genetic map... |
|---|---|---|---|
Associated symptoms
For many affected individuals, dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition which will not limit the quality of life. A minority, however, experience significant symptoms and there is sometimes a risk of sudden death. Evaluation by a cardiologist is recommended to confirm the diagnosis and to assess the outlook and particularly the risk of complications. In some patients, symptoms of left- and right-sided congestive heart failure develop gradually. Left ventricular dilatation may be present for months or even years before the patient becomes symptomatic.Vague chest pain may be present, but typical angina pectoris is unusual and suggests the presence of ischemic heart disease as well. Syncope
Syncope (medicine)
Syncope , the medical term for fainting, is precisely defined as a transient loss of consciousness and postural tone characterized by rapid onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery due to global cerebral hypoperfusion that most often results from hypotension.Many forms of syncope are...
due to arrhythmias and systemic embolism
Embolism
In medicine, an embolism is the event of lodging of an embolus into a narrow capillary vessel of an arterial bed which causes a blockage in a distant part of the body.Embolization is...
may occur.
Physical examination
The patient may present variable degrees of cardiac enlargement, and findings of congestive heart failureCongestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
. In advanced stages of the disease, the pulse pressure
Pulse pressure
Pulse Pressure is most easily defined as being the amount of pressure required to create the feeling of a pulse. Measured in millimeters of mercury , the pressure difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures give you the amount of pressure change to create the pulse, which is the pulse...
is narrowed and the jugular venous pressure
Jugular venous pressure
The jugular venous pressure is the indirectly observed pressure over the venous system...
is elevated. Third and fourth heart sounds are common. Mitral or tricuspid regurgitation may occur, presented by systolic murmur
Heart murmur
Murmurs are extra heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow that is sufficient to produce audible noise. Most murmurs can only be heard with the assistance of a stethoscope ....
s upon auscultation
Auscultation
Auscultation is the term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope...
(see mitral regurgitation
Mitral regurgitation
Mitral regurgitation , mitral insufficiency or mitral incompetence is a disorder of the heart in which the mitral valve does not close properly when the heart pumps out blood. It is the abnormal leaking of blood from the left ventricle, through the mitral valve, and into the left atrium, when...
and tricuspid insufficiency
Tricuspid insufficiency
Tricuspid insufficiency , a valvular heart disease also called tricuspid regurgitation , refers to the failure of the heart's tricuspid valve to close properly during systole. As a result, with each heart beat some blood passes from the right ventricle to the right atrium, the opposite of the...
for more details about the findings).
Laboratory examinations
Generalized enlargement of the heart is seen upon normal chest X-rayChest X-ray
In medicine, a chest radiograph, commonly called a chest X-ray , is a projection radiograph of the chest used to diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and nearby structures...
. Pleural effusion
Pleural effusion
Pleural effusion is excess fluid that accumulates between the two pleural layers, the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs. Excessive amounts of such fluid can impair breathing by limiting the expansion of the lungs during ventilation.-Pathophysiology:...
may also be noticed, which is due to pulmonary venous hypertension.
The electrocardiogram
Electrocardiogram
Electrocardiography is a transthoracic interpretation of the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time, as detected by electrodes attached to the outer surface of the skin and recorded by a device external to the body...
often shows sinus tachycardia
Sinus tachycardia
Sinus tachycardia is a heart rhythm with elevated rate of impulses originating from the sinoatrial node, defined as a rate greater than 100 beats/min in an average adult. The normal heart rate in the average adult ranges from 60–100 beats/min...
or atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia . It is a common cause of irregular heart beat, identified clinically by taking a pulse. Chaotic electrical activity in the two upper chambers of the heart result in the muscle fibrillating , instead of achieving coordinated contraction...
, ventricular arrhythmias, left atrial abnormality, and sometimes intraventricular conduction defects and low voltage. Echocardiogram shows left ventricular dilatation with normal or thinned walls and reduced ejection fraction
Ejection fraction
In cardiovascular physiology, ejection fraction is the fraction of Blood pumped out of the Right Ventricle of the heart to the Pulmonary Circulation and Left Ventricle of the heart to the Systemic Circulation with each Heart beat or Cardiac cycle...
. Cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography are often performed to exclude ischemic heart disease.
Treatment
Years ago the statistic was that the majority of patients, particularly those over 13 (if passed on genetically and has taken place earlier in life) and over 55 years of age, died within 3 years of the onset of symptoms (stage 5 of CHF) – and such figures can still be found in many textbooks. The situation has improved dramatically in recent years with drug therapy that can slow down progression and in some cases even improve the heart condition. Death is due to either congestive heart failureCongestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
or ventricular tachy- or bradyarrhythmias.
Patients are given the standard therapy for heart failure, typically including salt restriction, angiotensin-converting enzyme
Angiotensin-converting enzyme
Angiotensin I-converting enzyme , an exopeptidase, is a circulating enzyme that participates in the body's renin-angiotensin system , which mediates extracellular volume , and arterial vasoconstriction...
(ACE) inhibitors, diuretic
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
s, and digitalis
Digitalis
Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials that are commonly called foxgloves. This genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, but recent reviews of phylogenetic research have placed it in the much enlarged family...
. Anticoagulants may also be used. Alcohol should be avoided. Artificial pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
s may be used in patients with intraventricular conduction delay, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is a small battery-powered electrical impulse generator which is implanted in patients who are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. The device is programmed to detect cardiac arrhythmia and correct it...
s in those at risk of arrhythmia. These forms of treatment have been shown to improve symptoms and reduce hospitalization.
In patients with advanced disease who are refractory to medical therapy, cardiac transplantation
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
may be considered.
Reverse remodeling
The progression of heart failure is associated with left ventricular remodeling, which manifests as gradual increases in left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, wall thinning, and a change in chamber geometry to a more spherical, less elongated shape. This process is usually associated with a continuous decline in ejection fractionEjection fraction
In cardiovascular physiology, ejection fraction is the fraction of Blood pumped out of the Right Ventricle of the heart to the Pulmonary Circulation and Left Ventricle of the heart to the Systemic Circulation with each Heart beat or Cardiac cycle...
. The concept of cardiac remodeling was initially developed to describe changes which occur in the days and months following myocardial infarction. It has been extended to cardiomyopathies of non-ischemic origin, such as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy or chronic myocarditis, suggesting common mechanisms for the progression of cardiac dysfunction. Literally, reverse remodeling is the process of reversing the remodeling, or in other words,it is a process of a temporary or a permanent correction of the heart. A 2004 article gives a description of the current therapies that support reverse remodeling and suggests a new approach to the prognosis of cardiomyopathies.
Alternative treatment
Alternative treatmentsAlternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
are promoted by some, including food supplements Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine, Taurine and D-Ribose, and there is some evidence for the benefits of Coenzyme Q10 in treating heart failure.
Dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, cats and other pets
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a heritable disease in some dog breeds, including the BoxerBoxer (dog)
Developed in Germany, the Boxer is a breed of stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dog. The coat is smooth and fawn or brindled, with or without white markings. Boxers are brachycephalic , and have a square muzzle, mandibular prognathism , very strong jaws and a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to...
, Dobermann
Dobermann
The Doberman Pinscher or simply Doberman, is a breed of domestic dog originally developed around 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. Doberman Pinschers are among the most common of pet breeds, and the breed is well known as an intelligent, alert, and loyal companion dog...
, Great Dane
Great Dane
The Great Dane , also known as German Mastiff or Danish Hound , is a breed of domestic dog known for its giant size...
, Irish Wolfhound
Irish Wolfhound
The Irish wolfhound is a breed of domestic dog , specifically a sighthound. The name originates from its purpose rather than from its appearance...
and St Bernard
St. Bernard (dog)
The St. Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Italian and Swiss Alps, originally bred for rescue. The breed has become famous through tales of alpine rescues, as well as for its large size.-Appearance:The St. Bernard is a large dog...
. Treatment is based on medication, including ACE inhibitors, loop diuretics and phosphodiesterase inhibitors.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is also a disease affecting some cat breeds, including the Oriental Shorthair
Oriental Shorthair
The Siamese cat was imported to Britain from Siam in the later half of the 1800s. According to reports, both pointed and solid colors were imported. The gene that causes the color to be restricted to the points is a recessive gene, therefore the general population of the cats of Siam were largely...
, Burmese
Burmese (cat)
The Burmese is a breed of domesticated cats split into two subgroups: the American Burmese and the British Burmese . Most modern Burmese are descendants of one female cat called Wong Mau, which was brought from Burma to America in 1930...
, Persian, and Abyssinian
Abyssinian (cat)
The Abyssinian is a breed of domesticated cat with a distinctive ticked coat. There are many stories about its origins, often revolving around Ethiopia, but the actual origins are uncertain...
. As opposed to these hereditary forms, non-hereditary DCM used to be common in the overall cat population before the addition of taurine to commercial cat food.
There is also a high incidence of heritable dilated cardiomyopathy in captive Golden Hamster
Golden Hamster
The golden hamster or Syrian hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, is a very well known member of the rodent subfamily Cricetinae, the hamsters. In the wild they are now considered vulnerable. Their numbers have been declining due to loss of habitat and deliberate destruction by humans. However, they are...
s (mesocricetus auratus), thanks in no small part to their being highly inbred
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
. The incidence is high enough that several strains of Golden Hamster have been developed to serve as animal models in clinical testing for human forms of the disease.