Adult-Gerontology CNS Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Prep Guide

Dilated cardiomyopathy is characterized by significant enlargement of the heart (cardiomegaly) and a decrease in its ability to pump blood effectively, leading to reduced cardiac output. In this condition, the heart's ventricles are enlarged and weakened, which impairs their ability to contract efficiently during the systolic phase of the heartbeat.

Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy may present with symptoms of heart failure, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and fluid retention, resulting from the heart’s inability to maintain an adequate cardiac output. The marked cardiomegaly seen in imaging studies further supports this diagnosis, as the left ventricle is typically enlarged, affecting overall heart function.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, on the other hand, involves thickening of the heart muscle, which can lead to obstruction of blood flow rather than dilatation. Restrictive cardiomyopathy, while also impairing the heart's ability to fill properly, does not typically cause the marked enlargement seen in dilated cardiomyopathy. Clinical cardiomyopathy is a more general term that encompasses various types of heart muscle diseases, without specifically indicating the pattern of enlargement and decreased output found in dilated cardiomyopathy.