Cardiomyopathy Association

The Cardiomyopathy Association (CMA) is a national U.K. charity that works to provide information and support to individuals and their families affected by cardiomyopathy.

‘Cardiomyopathy’ is a medical term meaning ‘disease of the heart muscle’.  It is often thought of as a ‘rare’ condition. It therefore receives less attention than many other conditions. This perception is wrong.
Some forms of cardiomyopathy are estimated to affect 1 in 500 of the population. The condition can have a wide range of presentations. For example, there may be no or minimal symptoms and the individual may not even know they are affected. In others the first symptom may tragically be sudden death. Thankfully, the latter affects only a small percentage of those affected by the condition. However, the risk remains. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in people under the age of 35. This is a condition passed on through families.
Children of an affected person will have 50% chance of inheriting the condition.

It costs over £410,000 to provide information and support for families affected by cardiomyopathy.  The CMA receives no government funding and therefore relies on fundraising and the generosity of donations from its supporters.