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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition where the heart (cardio) muscle (myopathy) becomes thickened (hypertrophied). HCM is the most common type of genetic cardiomyopathy. Patients are born with a gene that makes the heart muscle thicker than it should be.
HCM can be a silent disease, and some people live their whole lives not knowing they have it. We sometimes find it by chance during imaging or an autopsy for a separate reason. However, some patients, at some point in their life, can start experiencing increased heart rhythm issues, which puts these patients at risk of sudden death. In many cases, the first sign of HCM can be sudden cardiac death. Making the right diagnosis at the right time is critical in this condition.
HCM also can create stiffness in the heart muscles and block the outflow of blood from the heart. These patients come to us with a variety of symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting or dizziness. It is important to seek medical attention when you have any of these symptoms. If a young athlete passes out during exercise, for example, it’s important that they get checked by getting an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and an echocardiogram.
Data suggests that one in 200 to 500 people worldwide have HCM. The problem is that it often goes undiagnosed or missed. Right now, in the U.S., doctors believe they have only diagnosed one out of seven of the people who have HCM. They are trying to increase awareness in the community about this disease and make sure that health care teams are well educated so they don’t miss the diagnosis when they look at the imaging of these patients.
It’s important to remember that just because someone carries the gene it doesn’t mean they will develop HCM. Some people show signs of HCM at a younger age, in their teens or 20s, while others can show signs of the disease later in life, into their 50s.
Knowing your family history and paying close attention to whether anybody in the family was told they have a thick heart muscle or if a family member suddenly died at a young age are the kinds of questions that can lead to clues if you have a genetic factor for HCM.
Mayo Clinic offers a genetic test for those suspected of having HCM and to family members of affected patients.
Mayo Clinic News Network. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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What is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? (2024, May 22)
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