Symptoms and management options in cardiomyopathy.

Cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people, including trained athletes (Maron et al, 1996). Often the tragedy of sudden death is the first indication of its presence within a family. This article describes the four types of cardiomyopathy, diagnosis, treatment and management options, and discusses ways in which the new National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease (Department of Health, 2005) will help in planning and implementing services.