Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the second most common form of heart muscle disease and is the number one cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. It affects approximately one in 500 adults in the United States. HCM is a genetically determined heart muscle disease caused by more than 1400 mutations in 11 or more genes encoding proteins of the cardiac sarcomere (Maron & Maron, 2013). HCM is characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) of various morphologies with a wide array of clinical manifestations and hemodynamic abnormalities. The age when symptoms develop, the severity of symptoms, and the long-term prognosis of a person diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy vary with each individual. Treatment of HCM focuses on relieving the symptoms and decreasing the risks associated with HCM. For many patients diagnosed with HCM,
…show more content…
Some individuals may have no or mild symptoms while others may have more severe symptoms. Often, symptoms are seen with exercise or exertion. Symptoms may first appear during infancy or childhood, but most commonly begin during puberty or early adulthood. If symptoms develop, they may vary in severity.
The most frequent symptoms are dyspnea and chest pain. Individuals with severe HCM may have symptoms often associated with heart failure including fatigue, dyspnea, chest pain, palpitations, pre-syncope, syncope, and exercise intolerance. Individuals with HCM have an increased incidence of both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias placing them at an increased risk for sudden cardiac death. Patients with no or only minor symptoms usually have a better prognosis than those with more severe symptoms; however, the severity of symptoms does not always correlate with the extent of cardiac involvement or the risk of sudden cardiac
Some individuals may have no or mild symptoms while others may have more severe symptoms. Often, symptoms are seen with exercise or exertion. Symptoms may first appear during infancy or childhood, but most commonly begin during puberty or early adulthood. If symptoms develop, they may vary in severity.
The most frequent symptoms are dyspnea and chest pain. Individuals with severe HCM may have symptoms often associated with heart failure including fatigue, dyspnea, chest pain, palpitations, pre-syncope, syncope, and exercise intolerance. Individuals with HCM have an increased incidence of both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias placing them at an increased risk for sudden cardiac death. Patients with no or only minor symptoms usually have a better prognosis than those with more severe symptoms; however, the severity of symptoms does not always correlate with the extent of cardiac involvement or the risk of sudden cardiac