What does cardiomyopathy refer to?

Cardiomyopathy refers specifically to a disease of the heart muscle (myocardium) that impairs its ability to pump blood effectively. This condition can lead to a range of symptoms, including heart failure, arrhythmias, and other cardiovascular complications. The term itself encompasses various types of heart muscle diseases, which can be caused by a range of factors such as genetics, long-standing high blood pressure, heart valve disease, and certain infections.

The other options, while related to heart conditions, represent different phenomena. Thickening of the heart walls is known as hypertrophy and can be a consequence of various conditions but does not encompass the broader dysfunction of the heart muscle. Increased heart rate, known as tachycardia, can occur for many reasons unrelated to the structural or functional state of the heart muscle itself. Inflammation of the heart, which could refer to conditions like myocarditis, is a specific disease process that might lead to cardiomyopathy but is not synonymous with it.

Understanding cardiomyopathy as a condition of dysfunctional heart muscle emphasizes its role in compromising the heart's ability to function properly, distinguishing it from other heart-related terms and conditions.