Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy
Blood is pumped to the lungs and the rest of the body due to coordinated muscular contractions in the heart. Different cardiovascular diseases can unfortunately affect the heart muscle and cause it to become weak, which decreases its ability to pump blood efficiently. Any type of cardiovascular disease, such as Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/ Cardiomyopathy, which weakens the heart muscle is categorized as cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy can be caused by viral infections of the heart, harmful substances that are present in or between heart muscle cells, and/or inherited diseases. One type of cardiomyopathy is Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia also known as ARVD/C, mostly a genetic condition. It accounts for up to one-fifth of sudden in people less than 35 years of age and three to four percent of sudden deaths that occur during exercise or playing sport. ARVD/C affects 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 5,000 people. ARVD/C is inherited in 30 to 50 percent of individuals and is usually transmitted from one affected parent to a child. Many of the genes that cause ARVD/C affect proteins that glue certain heart muscle cells together called desmosomes. There are actually many different types of genes that can cause ARVD/C and not all have been discovered. Seven chromosomes have been identified to have areas that have been linked to ARVD/C.
ARVD/C is a rare form cardiomyopathy in which the heart muscle in the right ventricle is replaced by fat and/or fibrous tissue in. The replacement often occurs in a spotty or diffuse process that starts on the outside surface of the right ventricle and replaces the heart muscles that die prematurely. When this happens, there is now interference with the normal smooth sequence of electrical activity that causes the heart muscle to contract and can lead to heart irregularities. In the lower chambers of the heart the disrupted electrical activity can