Cardiomyopathy is a general term for diseases of the heart muscle. The walls of the heart chambers may have become stretched, thickened or stiff, impacting the heart's ability to pump blood around the body. Although some cardiomyopathies are inherited, there are many causes, including damage from a heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms, drinking too much alcohol, heart valve disease and high blood pressure.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/news-and-features/how-to-manage-stress-when-living-with-cardiomyopathy