Nonsyndromic dilated cardiomyopathy
Last updated 4 Dec 2025
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Dilated cardiomyopathy is a form of heart disease in which the heart (cardiac) muscle becomes thin and enlarged (dilated). The dilation, which typically starts in the lower left chamber of the heart (left ventricle), makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.
Description
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a form of heart disease in which the heart (cardiac) muscle becomes thin and enlarged (dilated). The dilation, which typically starts in the lower left chamber of the heart (left ventricle), makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is called nonsyndromic dilated cardiomyopathy when it cannot be explained by other causes, such as a heart attack or damage to the valves of the heart, and is not associated with signs and symptoms that affect other parts of the body.
The signs and symptoms of nonsyndromic dilated cardiomyopathy vary among affected individuals, even among members of the same family. The signs and symptoms typically begin in mid-adulthood, but they can occur at any time from infancy to late adulthood. Affected individuals may have a sensation of fluttering or pounding in the chest (palpitations); shortness of breath, especially when lying down or during physical activity; fatigue; and swelling of the legs and feet. Affected individuals may also have episodes of dizziness or fainting (syncope).
Over time, people with nonsyndromic dilated cardiomyopathy may develop life-threatening complications, which can include abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and heart failure. Although uncommon, sudden death can occur in people with nonsyndromic dilated cardiomyopathy, even if they have no other symptoms of the condition.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Autosomal dominant+New variant; X-linked; Autosomal recessive. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
DCM
Familial dilated cardiomyopathy
Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy
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Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition where the heart muscle becomes stretched and thin. The heart becomes enlarged (dilates) and pumps blood less well. These change... Dilated cardiomyopathy is uncommon, but it is the most common type of cardiomyopathy. One estimate is that between 1 in every 2,500, to 1 in every 1,250 people have it; however,.
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Further reading and references
- Nonsyndromic dilated cardiomyopathy; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Herman DS, Lam L, Taylor MR, Wang L, Teekakirikul P, Christodoulou D, Conner L, DePalma SR, McDonough B, Sparks E, Teodorescu DL, Cirino AL, Banner NR, Pennell DJ, Graw S, Merlo M, Di Lenarda A, Sinagra G, Bos JM, Ackerman MJ, Mitchell RN, Murry CE, Lakdawala NK, Ho CY, Barton PJ, Cook SA, Mestroni L, Seidman JG, Seidman CE. Truncations of titin causing dilated cardiomyopathy. N Engl J Med. 2012 Feb 16;366(7):619-28. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1110186.
- Hershberger RE, Givertz MM, Ho CY, Judge DP, Kantor PF, McBride KL, Morales A, Taylor MRG, Vatta M, Ware SM; ACMG Professional Practice and Guidelines Committee. Genetic evaluation of cardiomyopathy: a clinical practice resource of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Genet Med. 2018 Sep;20(9):899-909. doi: 10.1038/s41436-018-0039-z. Epub 2018 Jun 14.
- Hershberger RE, Hedges DJ, Morales A. Dilated cardiomyopathy: the complexity of a diverse genetic architecture. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2013 Sep;10(9):531-47. doi: 10.1038/nrcardio.2013.105. Epub 2013 Jul 30.
- Hershberger RE, Jordan E. Dilated Cardiomyopathy Overview. 2007 Jul 27 [updated 2024 Dec 12]. In: Adam MP, Bick S, Mirzaa GM, Wallace SE, Amemiya A, editors. GeneReviews(R) [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2026. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1309/
- Hershberger RE, Morales A, Siegfried JD. Clinical and genetic issues in dilated cardiomyopathy: a review for genetics professionals. Genet Med. 2010 Nov;12(11):655-67. doi: 10.1097/GIM.0b013e3181f2481f.
- Jordan E, Hershberger RE. Considering complexity in the genetic evaluation of dilated cardiomyopathy. Heart. 2021 Jan;107(2):106-112. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2020-316658. Epub 2020 Oct 27.
- Jordan E, Peterson L, Ai T, Asatryan B, Bronicki L, Brown E, Celeghin R, Edwards M, Fan J, Ingles J, James CA, Jarinova O, Johnson R, Judge DP, Lahrouchi N, Lekanne Deprez RH, Lumbers RT, Mazzarotto F, Medeiros Domingo A, Miller RL, Morales A, Murray B, Peters S, Pilichou K, Protonotarios A, Semsarian C, Shah P, Syrris P, Thaxton C, van Tintelen JP, Walsh R, Wang J, Ware J, Hershberger RE. Evidence-Based Assessment of Genes in Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Circulation. 2021 Jul 6;144(1):7-19. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.053033. Epub 2021 May 5.
- McGurk KA, Zhang X, Theotokis P, Thomson K, Harper A, Buchan RJ, Mazaika E, Ormondroyd E, Wright WT, Macaya D, Pua CJ, Funke B, MacArthur DG, Prasad SK, Cook SA, Allouba M, Aguib Y, Yacoub MH, O'Regan DP, Barton PJR, Watkins H, Bottolo L, Ware JS. The penetrance of rare variants in cardiomyopathy-associated genes: A cross-sectional approach to estimating penetrance for secondary findings. Am J Hum Genet. 2023 Sep 7;110(9):1482-1495. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2023.08.003. Epub 2023 Aug 30.
- McNally EM, Mestroni L. Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Genetic Determinants and Mechanisms. Circ Res. 2017 Sep 15;121(7):731-748. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.309396.
- Musunuru K, Hershberger RE, Day SM, Klinedinst NJ, Landstrom AP, Parikh VN, Prakash S, Semsarian C, Sturm AC; American Heart Association Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine; Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; and Council on Clinical Cardiology. Genetic Testing for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circ Genom Precis Med. 2020 Aug;13(4):e000067. doi: 10.1161/HCG.0000000000000067. Epub 2020 Jul 23.
- Schultheiss HP, Fairweather D, Caforio ALP, Escher F, Hershberger RE, Lipshultz SE, Liu PP, Matsumori A, Mazzanti A, McMurray J, Priori SG. Dilated cardiomyopathy. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019 May 9;5(1):32. doi: 10.1038/s41572-019-0084-1.
- Tayal U, Ware JS, Lakdawala NK, Heymans S, Prasad SK. Understanding the genetics of adult-onset dilated cardiomyopathy: what a clinician needs to know. Eur Heart J. 2021 Jun 21;42(24):2384-2396. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab286.
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