At present, the most common cardiomyopathies are:

• dilated, which is one of the primary cardiomyopathies and usually manifests itself after an agent that damages the heart muscle. It is genetically determined. At an advanced stage, the affected heart is enlarged and looks like a "bloated sack". The heart's muscle fibres are stretched so much that they are unable to contract.
• genetic hypertrophy. In this disease, the left ventricle of the heart enlarges due to hypertrophy of the muscle itself. Many patients do not experience symptoms in the early stages of the disease; these will appear when the outflow tract narrows.
• restrictive, which leads to myocardial fibrosis. This form is relatively rare and leads to an impairment of the heart's volume and its ability to contract.

Each of the cardiomyopathies requires specialist treatment. If you notice any heart problems, excessive tiredness, weakness, fatigue or chest pain, you should see a cardiologist.