n. any severe disease affecting the heart muscle. Usually, heart muscle disease is followed by a deterioration in function and, consequently, possible heart failure. Early symptoms include shortness of breath (breathlessness), irregular heart rate (arrhythmia), and peripheral edema (swelling in the legs/limbs).
CARDIOMYOPATHY: “Diseases classified under cardiomyopathy are usually those in which the specific cause is unknown or uncertain.”