cardiomyopathy (2008 definition) A heart disease in which the heart muscle is structurally and functionally abnormal, in the absence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, valvular disease and congenital heart disease sufficient to cause the observed myocardial abnormality. (adapted from Elliott et al., 2008, European Heart Journal, 29, 270-276) Contemporary (e.g. Elliott et al. 2008) definitions of cardiomyopathy exclude ischemic cardiomyopathy, hypertensive cardiomyopathy and valvular cardiomyopathy. disease