cardiomyopathy

noun

car·​dio·​my·​op·​a·​thy ˈkär-dē-ō-(ˌ)mī-ˈä-pə-thē 

plural cardiomyopathies

: any of several structural or functional diseases of heart muscle marked especially by hypertrophy and obstructive damage to the heart

Examples of cardiomyopathy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the coroner investigating the singer's death, Michael had been suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver. —Todd Gold, Peoplemag, 25 June 2024

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetic heart disorder, affecting about 1 in 500 people, according to Martinez. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 22 June 2024

Her diagnosis — end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy — sounded complicated. —Lewis Kamb, NBC News, 14 June 2024

The scientists created 131 embryos that carried a genetic mutation that causes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—a condition that can lead to sudden and unexpected heart attacks but has few other symptoms—and attempted to correct the mutation in 112 of them (leaving 19 as unmodified controls). —Brendan P. Foht, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

cardiomyopathy

noun

car·​dio·​my·​op·​a·​thy ˈkärd-ē-ō-(ˌ)mī-ˈäp-ə-thē 

plural cardiomyopathies

: any structural or functional disease of heart muscle that is marked especially by enlargement of the heart, by hypertrophy of cardiac muscle, or by rigidity and loss of flexibility of the heart walls and that may be idiopathic or attributable to a specific cause (such as heart valve disease, untreated high blood pressure, or viral infection)