Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is the name for diseases of the heart muscle. These diseases enlarge your heart muscle or make it thicker and more rigid than normal. In rare cases, scar tissue replaces the muscle tissue.

Some people live long, healthy lives with cardiomyopathy. Some people don't even realize they have it. In others, however, it can make the heart less able to pump blood through the body. This can cause serious complications, including

  • Heart failure
  • Abnormal heart rhythms
  • Heart valve problems
  • Sudden cardiac arrest

Heart attacks, high blood pressure, infections, and other diseases can all cause cardiomyopathy. Some types of cardiomyopathy run in families. In many people, however, the cause is unknown. Treatment might involve medicines, surgery, other medical procedures, and lifestyle changes.

Programs + Services


Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center and Research Institute

Explore the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston which offers a full suite of cardiomyopathy treatment and diagnostic options.
More information about programs and services

Doctors + Care Team

James E. Udelson, MD

James E. Udelson, MD

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Accepting New Patients

Virtual Appointments Available

Title(s): Chief, Division of Cardiology; Director, Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology
Appt. Phone: 617-636-3186
Fax #: 617-636-7175

Cardiac imaging, heart failure

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Ayan R. Patel, MD

Ayan R. Patel, MD

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Accepting New Patients

Virtual Appointments Available

Title(s): Director, Cardiovascular Imaging and Hemodynamic Laboratory; Director, Cardiac Amyloidosis Program; Director, Women's Heart Center; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Department(s): Medicine, CardioVascular Center, Cardiology
Appt. Phone: 617-636-2273
Fax #: 617-636-5913

Echocardiography, heart failure, women's heart disease, cardiac amyloidosis

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Research + Clinical Trials


Non-Invasive Measurement of Capillary Oxygenation during Exercise in Ambulatory Advanced Heart Failure Patients

At Tufts Medical Center, we are continually evaluating different approaches to monitor and improve the care of our patients with advanced systolic heart failure. We are currently partnering with a company that has developed a non-invasive probe that measures capillary oxygenation through the skin. The probe attaches to the skin with a temporary adhesive and records the amount of oxygen in the blood cells passing through the skin. This technology may help us to detect when patients with abnormal heart pumping function (heart failure) are not circulating enough blood to their body. We have designed a study using this non-invasive probe to measure capillary oxygenation during exercise stress tests in patients with systolic heart failure and without systolic heart failure. Both groups of patients will have already been scheduled to undergo a treadmill exercise tests for standard clinical indications at Tufts Medical Center. We attach the adhesive probe to the skin on the base of the thumb and on the forearm during the exercise test. Study participation ends at the conclusion of the stress test, and the adhesive probe is removed. We hope to identify the differences between blood supply to the skin during exercise in patients with normal heart function versus those with systolic heart failure.
More information about research and clinical trials