Hypertrophic
Cardiomyopathy
What
is it?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
is a group of heart disorders in which the walls
of the heart ventricles become thickened.
The stiff ventricle walls make it difficult
for the heart to fill properly with blood.
Who
gets it?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
is usually familial, which means it is inherited
at birth. The
percentage of people who inherit this disease is
between 0.2% and 0.1%.
It occurs more often in men than in women.
It may also occur in adults with acromegaly,
which is a condition caused by excessive growth
hormone in the blood, and as a result of
pheochromocytoma, which is an adrenaline-producing
tumor.
What
causes it?
Familial hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy (FHC) occurs when an individual
inherits one mutated gene from a parent.
What
are the symptoms?
Patients with hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy may not exhibit any signs or
symptoms. When
symptoms occur, they include fainting (syncope),
heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of
breath, and heart failure.
In some cases, sudden death occurs because
of irregular heartbeat.
Symptoms may appear early in childhood or
later in life.
How
is it diagnosed?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
is usually evident upon examination with a
stethoscope because the heart sounds common with
this condition are easy to identify.
Diagnostic tests such as an echocardiogram,
electrocardiogram (ECG), or a chest x-ray are
frequently used to confirm the condition.
If the disease is severe enough to require
surgery, your doctor may use a procedure called
“cardiac catheterization” to measure the
pressures in the heart.
In this procedure, a thin tube (catheter)
is passed into one of the blood vessels and into
the heart.
What
is the treatment?
The majority of patients with
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy benefit from
medications such as beta-blockers or calcium
channel blockers to help reduce the heart’s
resistance to filling with blood between
heartbeats. Surgery
is only considered for those who don’t respond
to drug therapy.
The surgeon removes some of the thickened
heart muscle to improve the flow of blood from the
heart.
Self-care
tips
If you have hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy, you must notify your doctor before
undergoing any dental or surgical procedures.
People with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
usually take a course of antibiotics in advance of
these types of procedures to help reduce the risk
of developing a heart infection.
You may also want to seek genetic counseling before starting
a family if you know you have FHC.
This information has been designed as a comprehensive and quick reference
guide written by our health care reviewers. The health information written
by our authors is intended to be a supplement to the care provided by your
physician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice.
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