Abstract
Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases with structural and/or functional myocardial impairment in the absence of ischemic or hemodynamic insult capable of causing such impairment. Some cardiomyopathies are genetic diseases with a great deal of genotypic and phenotypic variability and often an incomplete penetrance.
Genetic research data became an integral part of new classification schemes of myocardial diseases. Genetic testing is beneficial in selected groups of patients and mainly in the management of relatives.