Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM)

Restrictive cardiomyopathy can be a complex condition to treat. At Aurora, our doctors are among the most experienced heart specialists in Wisconsin and we’ll do everything possible to care for your heart. We’ll always treat you with the greatest care and respect, making sure you get exactly the treatment you need.

What is restrictive cardiomyopathy?

Cardiomyopathy is a group of disease that causes the heart muscle to become enlarged, thick or stiff. Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is one type of this disease. It happens when scar tissue or other abnormal tissue develops in your heart muscle, making it too rigid to expand, fill with blood and pump effectively. It can lead to arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and other heart problems.

Find out more about cardiomyopathy and the other types of this disease.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy symptoms

Symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy can get worse over time. See your doctor right away if you have severe symptoms like chest pain, and soon if your symptoms are gradually increasing.

With restrictive cardiomyopathy, you may have:

• Bloating
• Chest pain, often after physical activity or heavy meals
• Fainting (syncope)
• Heart palpitations or fluttering in your chest
• Fatigue
• Inability to exercise
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in your legs and feet
• Weight gain caused by fluid retention

Restrictive cardiomyopathy causes

Doctors can’t always pinpoint why restrictive cardiomyopathy happens. It can develop after chemotherapy or radiation to your chest or from inflammatory diseases like sarcoidosis. Too much iron in your body (hemochromatosis) can also cause it.

Although restrictive cardiomyopathy can occur at any age, you’re more likely to develop it if you’re older.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy diagnosis

To diagnose restrictive cardiomyopathy, your doctor will ask about your symptoms and perform a thorough physical exam. We’ll likely order further testing for you, which may include:

• Radiographic imaging, such as a chest X-ray, CT scan or MRI
• Echocardiogram, a heart ultrasound
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to check your heart’s electrical activity
• Stress test to examine your heart while you exercise
• Cardiac catheterization to see how well your heart is working
• Nuclear imaging to see how well your heart is pumping

Find out more about our heart and vascular testing and diagnosis.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy treatment

If you’re diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, we’re here to talk with you about all your treatment options. Together, we’ll determine the best care plan for you.

Your plan may include:

• Lifestyle changes to improve your health, such as eating a healthy diet with limited salt and staying physically active
• Medications, such as beta blockers to slow your heart rate or diuretics to help your body remove excess fluid and sodium
• Heart transplant if your condition is severe. At Aurora, we provide results that are better than national averages. That means our heart transplant patients are living longer with their new heart than people who receive a heart transplant elsewhere.