It can also be brought on by high blood pressure which may enlarge the heart. Idiopathic cardiomyopathy is a condition for which no cause is known. In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heart muscle tissue grows improperly. Viral cardiomyopathy is caused by certain viruses. Ischemic cardiomyopathy is caused by numerous tiny infarctions in which destruction of heart muscle is too limited to be felt as it occurs, but cumulatively damages the heart.
Hypertensive cardiomyopathy is caused by untreated high blood pressure.
Preliminary research into these diseases has shown differing patterns in men and women, with men usually afflicted sooner and more severely. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is unable to maintain normal blood flow throughout the body. It can happen when the heart muscle or valves are damaged or the nerves governing the heartbeat are working improperly. Congestive heart failure can cause swelling in body tissues and a buildup of fluid in the lungs. Swelling, particularly in the legs and ankles, is often an early sign of congestive heart failure.