For some types of cardiomyopathy, there are no preventative measures that can be taken to avoid developing the disease. These include familial dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and many types of restrictive cardiomyopathy. Sometimes, underlying diseases can be prevented or treated early enough to stop restrictive cardiomyopathy from developing.
However, lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of developing conditions such as coronary artery disease, diabetes, and hypertension that may lead to other forms of cardiomyopathy. These include:
- Controlling blood pressure, the single most important measure to prevent cardiomyopathy and associated heart failure
- Quitting smoking
- Eating healthfully—a healthy diet low in cholesterol
- Moving more—seek out regular exercise
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Limiting alcohol consumption—heavy consumption should be avoided
- Avoiding recreational use of drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamines
- Seeing your doctor regularly
- Taking medicines as directed
Last reviewed on 12/31/2008
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