Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (Q67638)

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is defined as chronic cardiac dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis characterised by blunted contractile responsiveness to stress/exercise and-or altered diastolic relaxation with electrophysiological abnormalities, in the absence of known cardiac disease and irrespective of the cause of cirrhosis, although some aetiologies (e.g., iron overload and alcohol consumption) further impact on myocardial structure and function. It is considered to be related to both portal hypertension and cirrhosis with intrinsic alterations in myocardial function.