The Trend of Cardiomyopathies in Albania

Abstract

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the myocardium associated with cardiac dysfunction. Types of cardiomyopathy are: dilated, hypertrophic restrictive arrhythmogenic right ventricular, and unclassified. Many conditions manifest as one type of cardiomyopathy and progress to another. For example, hypertensive heart disease can begin with a hypertrophic pattern and subsequently become a dilated cardiomyopathy. In addition, some conditions have features of more than one type of cardiomyopathy. For example, sarcoidosis can have features of restrictive and dilated cardiomyopathy at different times in the course of the disease.It has been decades that many authors, professional bodies, national medical authorities, centers of research and innovation work on prevention, and early diagnosis as two best approaches towards quality health care delivery to patients. In Albania, we still do lack on these attitudes, due to many reasons, and unfortunately, even though we do have qualified medical doctors, on the other side we lack on infrastructure, national programs, medical protocols, and especially infrastructure. Thus in Albania there is no such integral combination human resources capacity and infrastructure and hence we lack in offering best patient care adding the under financed and not well managed health care system we have.In conclusion, heart problems still remain one of the most causes of morbidities and mortalities and more focus should be given toward these diseases since the impact in health and wellbeing of population they have. In Albania, cardiology has gone through many positive developments, however we still are behind our western counterparts and more effort should be in place from medical professional authorities, and government bodies and institutions.

Keywords: Cardiomyopathies, prevention, early diagnosis, quality health care delivery