The DCM Foundation is announcing the launch of www.dcmfoundation.org, a website to promote awareness of dilated cardiomyopathy and to educate patients and their families on the symptoms, stages and management of this heart condition.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The DCM Foundation is announcing the launch of www.dcmfoundation.org, a website to promote awareness of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and to educate patients and their families on the symptoms, stages and management of this heart condition. DCM, a condition that may lead to heart failure, has many causes and can impact people of all ages. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 250 people has DCM.
A team of DCM patients and cardiologists established the DCM Foundation after recognizing the need for comprehensive education and support for DCM patients. Throughout the development of the website, the DCM Foundation Board of Directors focused on incorporating a message of hope. Website visitors can access over a dozen videos featuring DCM patients, genetic experts and cardiologists.
"We want this to be the best, most comprehensive online resource on DCM," said Greg Ruf, president of the DCM Foundation Board of Directors and a DCM patient. "I hope we can help patients and families recognize that with amazing advances in treatment, there are many success stories of DCM patients living long, healthy lives."
The DCM Foundation website emphasizes the importance of research focused on identifying genetic causes of DCM. Nearly fifty percent of DCM patients are diagnosed with idiopathic DCM (IDC), which means DCM of "unknown cause." Many are unaware that when genetics plays a role in IDC, it can affect entire families. The DCM Foundation collaborates with the DCM Research Project, which includes genetic research studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. Based at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC), the DCM Research Project includes 26 partner heart institutions across the country.
"We have conducted genetic testing on hundreds of DCM patients and family members enrolled in research studies," said Ray Hershberger, MD, Founder and Principal Investigator for the DCM Research Project and Director of Human Genetics at the OSUWMC. "My hope is that through our collaboration with the DCM Foundation, we can increase awareness of the impact that research can have on the future treatment of DCM."
About the DCM Foundation
Founded in 2017, the DCM Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide hope and support to patients and families with dilated cardiomyopathy through research, advocacy, and education.
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SOURCE DCM Foundation
