Help! 40 yr. old man just diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy/CHF

Andy,

I am sorry to hear of your situation. I am also sorry to see such a
silly mudslinging fest break out in response to a heartfelt request
for info.

I don't have any particular expertise in your kind of problem; the
little I know about cardio problems is w.r.t. arteriosclerosis. Even
so, I can say that the more info you give out, the more helpful the
comments may be. Can you tell us:
- Height, weight, any recent weight changes
- Any other health problems, and the meds you take for them
- Supplements, over-the-counter meds, herbals you take
- Typical meals, esp detailing the amount and types of fats, carbs
- Blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL/LDL cholesterol
- Any other lab tests that might be relevant.
- Have you ever used steroids or other drugs that might have affected
your heart?

You had a 100% aortal valve block at 33? Was that something
congenital? Seems extremely young for arterioclerosis. Did your
doctors tell you at the time why you'd had the blockage?

Did the doctors actually have any indications that you'd had a viral
infection (e.g. the pathology they saw, or serum antibodies?) Or was
that just a guess about an otherwise inexplicable condition?

Much of the traffic this group sees is for arteriosclerosis. People
generally agree that diet and exercise can influence the course of
that disease, although there are heated discussions about what diet,
and the relevancy of different lab tests. Did your doctors indicate
that diet and exercise could be of any benefit to your particular
cardiomyopathy?

Adam Becker