The goal of management of ARVD is to decrease the incidence of sudden cardiac death. This raises a clinical dilemma: How to prophylactically treat the asymptomatic patient who was diagnosed during family screening.

A certain subgroup of individuals with ARVD are considered at high risk for sudden cardiac death. Associated characteristics include:

- Young age

- Competitive sports activity

- Malignant familial history

- Extensive RV disease with decreased right ventricular ejection fraction.

- Left ventricular involvement

- Syncope

- Episode of ventricular arrhythmia

Management options include pharmacological, surgical, catheter ablation, and placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Prior to the decision of the treatment option, programmed electrical stimulation in the electrophysiology laboratory may be performed for additional prognostic information. Goals of programmed stimulation include:

- Assessment of the disease's arrhythmogenic potential

- Evaluate the hemodynamic consequences of sustained VT

- Determine whether the VT can be interrupted via antitachycardia pacing.

Regardless of the management option chosen, the individual is typically advised to undergo lifestyle modification, including avoidance of strenuous exercise, cardiac stimulants (i.e.: caffeine, nicotine, pseudoephedrine) and alcohol. If the individual wishes to begin an exercise regimen, an exercise stress test may have added benefit.

Pharmacologic management of ARVD involves arrhythmia suppression and prevention of thrombus formation.

Sotalol, a beta blocker and a class III antiarrhythmic agent, is the most effective antiarrhythmic agent in ARVD. Other antiarrhythmic agents used include amiodarone and conventional beta blockers (i.e.: metoprolol). If antiarrhythmic agents are used, their efficacy should be guided by series ambulatory holter monitoring, to show a reduction in arrhythmic events.

While angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE Inhibitors) are well known for slowing progression in other cardiomyopathies, they have not been proven to be helpful in ARVD.

Individuals with decreased RV ejection fraction with dyskinetic portions of the right ventricle may benefit from long term anticoagulation with warfarin to prevent thrombus formation and subsequent pulmonary embolism.

A significant number of people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy do not have any symptoms and will have normal life expectancies, although they should avoid particularly strenuous activities or competitive athletics, and should be screened for risk factors for sudden cardiac death. In people with resting or inducible outflow obstructions, situations that will cause dehydration or vasodilation (such as the use of vasodilatory or diuretic blood pressure medications) should be avoided. Septal reduction therapy is not recommended in asymptomatic people.

Due to non-compaction cardiomyopathy being a relatively new disease, its impact on human life expectancy is not very well understood. In a 2005 study that documented the long-term follow-up of 34 patients with NCC, 35% had died at the age of 42 +/- 40 months, with a further 12% having to undergo a heart transplant due to heart failure. However, this study was based upon symptomatic patients referred to a tertiary-care center, and so were suffering from more severe forms of NCC than might be found typically in the population. Sedaghat-Hamedani et al. also showed the clinical course of symptomatic LVNC can be severe. In this study cardiovascular events were significantly more frequent in LVNC patients compared with an age-matched group of patients with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). As NCC is a genetic disease, immediate family members are being tested as a precaution, which is turning up more supposedly healthy people with NCC who are asymptomatic. The long-term prognosis for these people is currently unknown.

When there are holes in the septum that divide the four chambers of the heart the oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-poor blood mix this creates more stress on the heart to pump blood to where oxygen is needed. As a result, you get enlargement of the heart, heart failure (being unable to adequately supply body with needed oxygen, pulmonary hypertension, and pneumonia.

The development of pulmonary hypertension is very serious. And this because the left ventricle is weakened due to its overuse. When this happens, the pressure backs up into the pulmonary veins and the lungs. This type of damage is irreversible which is why immediate treatment is recommended after diagnosis.

Current treatment options for Boxer cardiomyopathy are largely restricted to the use of oral anti-arrhythmic medications. The aim of therapy is to minimize ventricular ectopy, eliminate syncopal episodes, and prevent sudden cardiac death. A number of medications have been used for this purpose, including atenolol, procainamide, sotalol, mexiletine, and amiodarone. Combinations can also be used. Sotalol is probably the most commonly used antiarrhythmic at this time. It has been demonstrated that sotalol alone, or a combination of mexiletine and atenolol, results in a reduction in the frequency and complexity of ventricular ectopy. It is likely that these medications also reduce syncopal episodes, and it is hoped this extends to a reduced risk of sudden death. Consequently, antiarrhythmic therapy is typically recommended by veterinary cardiologists for Boxer dogs with ARVC. Although relatively rare, oral antiarrhythmic medications may be proarrhythmic in some dogs; consequently, appropriate monitoring and follow-up is recommended.

The ideal therapy for Boxer cardiomyopathy would be implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This has been attempted in a limited number of dogs. Unfortunately, ICDs are programmed for humans and the algorithms used are not appropriate for dogs, increasing the risk of inappropriate shocks. In the future, reprogramming of ICDs may allow them to emerge as a viable option in the treatment for Boxer cardiomyopathy.

The primary goal of medications is to relieve symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and palpitations. Beta blockers are considered first-line agents, as they can slow down the heart rate and decrease the likelihood of ectopic beats. For people who cannot tolerate beta blockers, nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers such as verapamil can be used, but are potentially harmful in people who also have low blood pressure or severe shortness of breath at rest. These medications also decrease the heart rate, though their use in people with severe outflow obstruction, elevated pulmonary artery wedge pressure, and low blood pressures should be done with caution. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers should be avoided in people with evidence of obstruction. For people whose symptoms are not relieved by the above treatments, disopyramide can be considered for further symptom relief. Diuretics can be considered for people with evidence of fluid overload, though cautiously used in those with evidence of obstruction. People who continue to have symptoms despite drug therapy can consider more invasive therapies. Intravenous phenylephrine (or another pure vasoconstricting agent) can be used in the acute setting of low blood pressure in those with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who do not respond to fluid administration.

One paper

has listed the various types of management of care that have been used for various types of NCC. These are similar to management programs for other types of cardiomyopathies which include the use of ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and aspirin therapy to relieve the pressure on the heart, surgical options such as the installation of pacemaker is also an option for those thought to be at a high risk of arrhythmia problems.

In severe cases, where NCC has led to heart failure, with resulting surgical treatment including a heart valve operation, or a heart transplant.

The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) recommends surgical intervention for these indications:

- Limited exercise capacity (NYHA III-IV)

- Increasing heart size (cardiothoracic ratio greater than 65%)

- Important cyanosis (resting oxygen saturation less than 90% - level B)

- Severe tricuspid regurgitation with symptoms

- Transient ischemic attack or stroke

The CCS further recommends patients who require operation for Ebstein's anomaly should be operated on by congenital heart surgeons who have substantial specific experience and success with this operation. Every effort should be made to preserve the native tricuspid valve.

Ebstein's cardiophysiology typically presents as an (antidromic) AV reentrant tachycardia with associated pre-excitation. In this setting, the preferred medication treatment agent is procainamide. Since AV-blockade may promote conduction over the accessory pathway, drugs such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and digoxin are contraindicated.

If atrial fibrillation with pre-excitation occurs, treatment options include procainamide, flecainide, propafenone, dofetilide, and ibutilide, since these medications slow conduction in the accessory pathway causing the tachycardia and should be administered before considering electrical cardioversion. Intravenous amiodarone may also convert atrial fibrillation and/or slow the ventricular response.

The risk for untreated LQTS patients having events (syncopes or cardiac arrest) can be predicted from their genotype (LQT1-8), gender, and corrected QT interval.

- High risk (> 50%) - QTc > 500 ms, LQT1, LQT2, and LQT3 (males)

- Intermediate risk (30-50%) - QTc > 500 ms, LQT3 (females) or QTc < 500 ms, LQT2 (females) and LQT3

- Low risk (< 30%) - QTc < 500 ms, LQT1 and LQT2 (males)

A 1992 study reported that mortality for symptomatic, untreated patients was 20% within the first year and 50% within the first 10 years after the initial syncope.

Treatment is surgical and involves closure of the atrial and ventricular septal defects and restoration of a competent left AV valve as far as is possible. Open surgical procedures require a heart-lung machine and are done with a median sternotomy. Surgical mortality for uncomplicated ostium primum defects in experienced centers is 2%; for uncomplicated cases of complete atrioventricular canal, 4% or less. Certain complications such as tetralogy of Fallot or highly unbalanced flow across the common AV valve can increase risk significantly.

Infants born with AVSD are generally in sufficient health to not require immediate corrective surgery. If surgery is not required immediately after birth, the newborn will be closely monitored for the next several months, and the operation held-off until the first signs of lung distress or heart failure. This gives the infant time to grow, increasing the size of, and thereby the ease of operation on, the heart, as well as the ease of recovery. Infants will generally require surgery within three to six months, however, they may be able to go up to two years before the operation becomes necessary, depending on the severity of the defect.

Those diagnosed with LQTS are usually advised to avoid drugs that would prolong the QT interval further or lower the threshold for TDP. In addition to this, two intervention options are known for individuals with LQTS: arrhythmia prevention and arrhythmia termination.

Studies have shown that patients with Pacemaker syndrome and/or with sick sinus syndrome are at higher risk of developing fatal complications that calls for the patients to be carefully monitored in the ICU. Complications include atrial fibrillation, thrombo-embolic events, and heart failure.

Treatment of restrictive cardiomyopathy should focus on management of causative conditions (for example, using corticosteroids if the cause is sarcoidosis), and slowing the progression of cardiomyopathy. Salt-restriction, diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and anticoagulation may be indicated for managing restrictive cardiomyopathy.

Calcium channel blockers are generally contraindicated due to their negative inotropic effect, particularly in cardiomyopathy caused by amyloidosis. Digoxin, calcium channel blocking drugs and beta-adrenergic blocking agents provide little benefit, except in the subgroup of restrictive cardiomyopathy with atrial fibrillation. Vasodilators are also typically ineffective because systolic function is usually preserved in cases of RCM.

Heart failure resulting from restrictive cardiomyopathy will usually eventually have to be treated by cardiac transplantation or left ventricular assist device.

The underlying condition may be treated by medications to control hypertension or diabetes, if they are the primary underlying cause. If coronary arteries are blocked, an invasive coronary angioplasty may relieve the impending RBBB.

The prognosis of tricuspid insufficiency is less favorable for males than females. Furthermore, increased tricuspid insufficiency (regurgitation) severity is an indication of a poorer prognosis according to Nath, et al. It is also important to note that since tricuspid insufficiency most often arises from left heart failure or pulmonary hypertension, the person's prognosis is usually dictated by the prognosis of the latter conditions and not by the tricuspid insufficiency "per se".

In the last five years, much research has centered around the best treatment options for patients with Lutembacher's syndrome. In a recent study of examining the benefits of using percutaneous treatment as an alternative to surgically means to correct MS and ASD, it was found the use of Combined percutaneous treatment was performed including balloon valvuloplasty for MS and Amplatzer septal occluder for closure of the ASD, the patient's planimetric mitral valve area as 2.1 cm (as compared to the previous 1.5 cm), maximum diastolic gradient as 9 mmHg (compared to previous 17 mmHg), and mean diastolic gradient as 4 mmHg (as compared to previous 9 mmHg).

In another study, surgeons developed a way to use percanteous therapy in difficult situations. In this study they developed a technique to use the Inoue balloon in valvuloplasty but to insert a wire into the left atrium prior to inserting the balloon. This enabled the surgeons to be more precise in treating the mitral valve and not have the balloon to slip out of place; the wire served as a guide to inserting the balloon.

Other Percutaneous procedures beside balloon valvuloplasty for MS have been looked into. Percutaneous Leaflet Plication (Edge-to-Edge Leaflet Repair)is being explored as a way to increase the opening of the mitral valve by clamping down mitral leaflets. The clamps are delivered to the mitral through a catheter as with the balloon, and then clamped onto the mitral valve. Of the patients that received this treatment, 74% patients achieved surgical success, and at 1-year, 68% were saved from dying, 90% from having to have surgery or dying from the lack thereof, a 76.3% prognosis at three years.

Given the many possible treatments that are to come, future research is continuing to find better methods of treating Lutembacher patients non-invasively as with percutaneous therapy. Without successfully treating Lutembacher's more serious complications can occur such as heart failure or even disorders such as Eisenmenger syndrome.

Side effects with interventional device closure have not been extensively supported as yet.

Possible side effects from the ASD device closure procedure could be:

- fever

- Chest pain

- Swelling

- Swelling, bleeding, change in skin color at site of initial catheterization in groin, or pain in the groin

With surgically closure, the normal risk of infection, fevers, and blood clots are among the risks. If any signs of infection such as swelling, pain, or fever are present, the patient should seek medical attention. Patients who have ASD repaired later in life are also at a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation especially if the device is not stable.

Until recently, it was generally assumed that the prognosis for individuals with diastolic dysfunction and associated intermittent pulmonary edema was better than those with systolic dysfunction. In fact, in two studies appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006, evidence was presented to suggest that the prognosis in diastolic dysfunction is the same as that in systolic dysfunction.

Hypoplastic right heart syndrome is less common than hypoplastic left heart syndrome which occurs in 4 out of every 10,000 births. [3].

This rare anomaly requires prenatal diagnosis since it needs immediate and emergency treatment. Pregnant women whose pregnancy is complicated with this anomaly should be referred to a level 3 hospital with pediatric cardiology and pediatric cardiothoracic surgical team.[3]

It can be associated with aortic stenosis.

The cause of cardiomegaly is not well understood and many cases of cardiomegaly are idiopathic (having no known cause). Prevention of cardiomegaly starts with detection. If a person has a family history of cardiomegaly, one should let one's doctor know so that treatments can be implemented to help prevent worsening of the condition. In addition, prevention includes avoiding certain lifestyle risk factors such as tobacco use and controlling one's high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Non-lifestyle risk factors include family history of cardiomegaly, coronary artery disease (CAD), congenital heart failure, Atherosclerotic disease, valvular heart disease, exposure to cardiac toxins, sleep disordered breathing (such as sleep apnea), sustained cardiac arrhythmias, abnormal electrocardiograms, and cardiomegaly on chest X-ray. Lifestyle factors which can help prevent cardiomegaly include eating a healthy diet, controlling blood pressure, exercise, medications, and not abusing alcohol and cocaine. Current research and the evidence of previous cases link the following (below) as possible causes of cardiomegaly.

The most common causes of Cardiomegaly are congenital (patients are born with the condition based on a genetic inheritance), high blood pressure which can enlarge the left ventricle causing the heart muscle to weaken over time, and coronary artery disease that creates blockages in the heart's blood supply, which can bring on a cardiac infarction (heart attack) leading to tissue death which causes other areas of the heart to work harder, increasing the heart size.

Other possible causes include:

- Heart Valve Disease

- Cardiomyopathy (disease to the heart muscle)

- Pulmonary Hypertension

- Pericardial Effusion (fluid around the heart)

- Thyroid Disorders

- Hemochromatosis (excessive iron in the blood)

- Other rare diseases like Amyloidosis

- Viral infection of the heart

- Pregnancy, with enlarged heart developing around the time of delivery (peripartum cardiomyopathy)

- Kidney disease requiring dialysis

- Alcohol or cocaine abuse

- HIV infection

- Diabetes

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery originating from the pulmonary trunk (ARCAPA) is a rare but potentially fatal anomaly. The goal of surgical therapy is establishment of a physiologic bi-coronary circulation.

Endomyocardial fibrosis is generally limited to the tropics and sub-saharan Africa. The highest incidence of death caused by cardiac sarcoidosis is found in Japan.

A device, known as the Amplatzer muscular VSD occluder, may be used to close certain VSDs. It was initially approved in 2009. It appears to work well and be safe. The cost is also lower than having open heart surgery. The device is placed through a small incision in the groin.

The Amplatzer septal occluder was shown to have full closure of the ventricular defect within the 24 hours of placement. It has a low risk of embolism after implantation. Some tricuspid valve regurgitation was shown after the procedure that could possibly be due from the right ventricular disc. There have been some reports that the Amplatzer septal occluder may cause life-threatening erosion of the tissue inside the heart. This occurs in one percent of people implanted with the device and requires immediate open-heart surgery. This erosion occurs due to improper sizing of the device resulting with it being too large for the defect, causing rubbing of the septal tissue and erosion.