Patient's question:
I am 28 years old this year, and the biggest problem that troubles me is my weight. Currently, I weigh over 200 jin. Due to being overweight, I have now developed cardiomyopathy. Can cardiomyopathy be cured?Doctor's answer:
Weight loss is the most effective long-term treatment for obese cardiomyopathy. Effective weight loss can significantly improve many cardiac structural abnormalities and hemodynamics, lower blood pressure to a lower level. If maintained for 1-3 years, all obese patients seem to have lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures. As body weight decreases, blood volume, cardiac output, and body oxygen consumption during exercise decline. However, heart rate, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, pulmonary wedge pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and pulmonary artery pressure do not decrease during rest and exercise after weight loss. It has been reported that weight loss can reverse the symptoms of congestive heart failure in patients with obese cardiomyopathy, as well as in obese patients with sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.