Restrictive cardiomyopathy is rare in the United States. In this disease the walls of the ventricles stiffen and lose their flexibility due to infiltration by abnormal tissue. As a result, the heart cannot fill adequately with blood and eventually loses its ability to pump properly. Restrictive cardiomyopathy typically results from another disease, which occurs elsewhere in the body. Dilated cardiomyopathy can be present for several years without causing significant symptoms With time, however, the enlarged heart gradually weakens.
Many patients have no symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
For those who do, the most common are breathlessness and chest discomfort. Other signs are fainting during physical activity, strong rapid heartbeats that feel like a pounding in the chest, and fatigue, especially with physical exertion. Symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy include congestive heart failure, weakness, fatigue, and breathlessness. Swelling of the legs caused by fluid retention, occurs in a significant number of patients. Other symptoms include nausea, bloating, and poor appetite.