Structural Heart Muscle Disease is a term that broadly describes conditions in which the anatomy and function of the heart muscle (myocardium) are altered, leading to impaired cardiac performance. Unlike acquired conditions such as coronary artery disease, these disorders often arise from genetic, developmental, or chronic pathological changes within the myocardium itself.

This category includes various forms of cardiomyopathies such as dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, and arrhythmogenic types, each presenting distinct structural and functional abnormalities. Changes may involve thickening, thinning, scarring, or stiffening of the heart muscle, which progressively weaken the pumping ability of the heart.

Patients may experience shortness of breath, chest discomfort, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and in advanced cases, heart failure or sudden cardiac arrest.

Diagnosis is established using advanced imaging techniques such as echocardiography, cardiac MRI, CT scans, and genetic testing, which reveal structural and functional changes in the myocardium.

Management strategies combine lifestyle modification, pharmacological therapy, device implantation (ICDs, pacemakers), interventional procedures, and in severe cases, cardiac transplantation.

Ongoing research in genomics, regenerative medicine, and targeted therapies continues to provide hope for better management and long-term outcomes for individuals with structural heart muscle disease