Question
Recently, I’ve been dealing with abdominal obesity and am worried it might be cardiomyopathy. Can you clarify the difference between obesity and cardiomyopathy?
Answer
There is a significant difference between obesity and cardiomyopathy. Obesity refers to being overweight, but with a normal-sized heart and function; it is not caused by a disease and does not require medication treatment. It can be managed by controlling diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight, leading to a good prognosis and lifespan similar to the general population. In contrast, cardiomyopathy often involves heart enlargement and heart function impairment, necessitating restrictions on physical exercise and long-term medication treatment. Primary cardiomyopathy is usually incurable, and even with regular medication, it can only delay the progression of the disease. Once symptoms of heart failure appear, the five-year survival rate is only 25%.