A group of 43 patients with cardiomyopathy was assessed clinically and hemodynamically. Disturbances in the electric myocardial activity and hemodynamic changes concerning the duration of the different phases of left ventricular systole were observed. Despite the presence of these changes, in the early atypical forms no impairment of the myocardial contractility was found. In the advanced forms (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and congestive cardiomyopathy) the myocardial contractility was impaired, this contributing to the development of heart failure manifestations.