Inherited cardiomyopathies

Abstract

Cardiomyopathies are structural and functional disorders of the heart muscle. They are often inherited and represent an important cause of sudden cardiac death. General practitioners play a key role in early diagnosis by recognising symptoms and clues from the family history to initiate investigations. In this clinical update, we provide an overview of diagnosis, genetic evaluation, and management of inherited cardiomyopathies for non-specialists. What are the causes?