Cardiomyopathy is simply pathology of the heart muscle and the etiologies
are diverse ranging from alcohol induced to infection which was presumably
the factor in Atkins' case.  This is in distinction to ischemic events which
are infarction of the heart muscle caused by a lack of blood flow (and,
consequently, oxygen) due to a lesion in a coronary artery.  Electrolyte
imbalances are another non-ischemic trigger of "heart attack" in the nature
of disruption of the heart's normal rhythm by virtue of, for example, low
potassium.
Marishka wrote:

> Dr. Atkins' cardiac arrest was NOT caused by diet.
>
> http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/diet/fitness/04/25/atkinds.diet/index.html