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Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD)
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), also known as right ventricular cardiomyopathy, is a rare type of cardiomyopathy diagnosed primarily in teenagers and young adults. For people with ARVD, the muscle tissue of the right ventricle has been replaced by fatty and/or fibrous scar tissue that inhibits the transmission of electrical signals within the heart. As the disease progresses, the right ventricle may dilate, compromising the pumping efficiency of the heart. ARVD is associated with arrhythmias that can cause strong or irregular heartbeats and fainting after exercise, or even sudden death in some people.
A difficult disease to diagnosis, ARVD is estimated to occur in 1 in 5,000 people. In many patients the disease is familial. The exact cause of ARVD is not well understood.
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