Cardiotoxicity is the occurrence of heart dysfunction as electric or
muscle damage
In medicine, myopathy is a disease of the muscle in which the muscle fibers do not function properly. This results in muscular weakness. ''Myopathy'' means muscle disease ( Greek : myo- ''muscle'' + patheia '' -pathy'' : ''suffering''). This ...
, resulting in heart toxicity. The heart becomes weaker and is not as efficient in pumping blood. Cardiotoxicity may be caused by
chemotherapy (a usual example is the class of
anthracyclines)
treatment and/or radiotherapy; complications from
anorexia nervosa; adverse effects of
heavy metals
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Heavy metals are generally defined as ...
intake; the long-term abuse of or ingestion at high doses of certain strong
stimulant
Stimulants (also often referred to as psychostimulants or colloquially as uppers) is an overarching term that covers many drugs including those that increase activity of the central nervous system and the body, drugs that are pleasurable and inv ...
s such as
cocaine; or an incorrectly administered drug such as
bupivacaine.
One of the ways to detect cardiotoxicity at early stages when there is a subclinical dysfunction is by measuring changes in
regional function of the heart using strains.
See also
*
Cardiotoxin III
*
Batrachotoxin
*
Heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
*
Drug interaction
References
Heart diseases
Toxins by organ system affected
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