What is Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
Restrictive cardiomyopathy, the least common type of cardiomyopathy in the US, occurs when the myocardium of the ventricles becomes excessively rigid, and the filling of the ventricles with blood between heart beats is impaired. This condition occurs rarely in children. Restrictive cardiomyopathy usually results from another disease, which occurs elsewhere in the body. However, there are idiopathic (cause unknown) occurrences as well. Restrictive cardiomyopathy does not appear to be inherited, but some of the diseases that lead to the condition are genetically transmitted. Conditions that may be associated with the development of restrictive cardiomyopathy include, but are not limited to, the following: • scleroderma (a chronic, degenerative disease that affects the joints, skin, and internal organs) • amyloidosis (a rare disease which causes the buildup of amyloid, a protein and starch, in tissues and organs) • sarcoidosis (a rare inflammation of the lymph nodes and other tissues thro
