Damage after a Heart Attack
People now often survive heart attacks, but eventually many develop heart failure from the physical damage done to the heart muscles by the attack. Ironically, heart attack recovery is probably one of the major factors in the dramatic increase in heart failure cases over the past decade. On an encouraging note, however, new therapies that are reducing the severity of heart attacks may help stabilize heart failure rates. [For more information, see In-Depth Report #12: Heart attack.]
Valvular Heart Disease
The valves of the heart control the flow of blood leaving and entering the heart. Abnormalities can cause blood to backup or leak back into the heart.
 | Click the icon to see an image of the heart valves. |
In the past, rheumatic fever, which scars the heart valves and prevents them from closing, was a major cause of death from heart failure. Fortunately, antibiotics have relegated this disease to a minor cause of heart failure. Birth defects may also cause abnormal valvular development. Although more children born with heart defects are now living to adulthood, they still face a higher than average risk for heart failure as they age.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is disease that damages the heart muscles and leads to heart failure. There are several different types. Injury to the heart muscles may cause the heart muscles to thin out (dilate) or become too thick (become hypertrophic). In either case, the heart doesn't pump correctly.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy involves an enlarged heart ventricle. The muscles thin out, reducing the pumping action usually on the left side. Although this condition is associated with genetic factors, the direct cause often is not known. (This is called idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.) Research strongly indicates that viruses, such as Coxsackie virus, or other infections may be at the base of this condition. Experts think that an autoimmune response occurs in which infection-fighting antibodies attack a person's own proteins in the heart, mistaking them for foreign substances.
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