Dilated cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a common type of primary cardiomyopathy. It is characterized by significant enlargement of the left ventricle (mostly) or right ventricle, accompanied by varying degrees of myocardial hypertrophy and decreased ventricular systolic function, with cardiac enlargement, heart failure, arrhythmia, and embolism as basic characteristics. It was once called congestive cardiomyopathy. This disease is often accompanied by arrhythmias, the condition is progressively aggravated, and death can occur at any stage of the disease. About 20% of DCM patients have a family history of cardiomyopathy. In recent years, the diagnosis rate of dilated cardiomyopathy has gradually increased. It is estimated that the annual diagnosis rate is about 8/100,000 and the prevalence rate is about 37/100,000. Half of the patients are under 55 years old, and about 1/3 of the patients have heart function grades III to IV (New York Heart Association classification standards). However, some undiagnosed mild patients may make the actual prevalence higher.