Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

About

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a type of heart muscle condition where the heart muscle slowly thickens and becomes more stiff. The heart can not pump as well, causing shortness of breath or difficulty exercising for some people, while others have no symptoms. Sometimes there are also heart rhythm problems or palpitations.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is common, affecting approximately 1/500 people. It is rare before puberty.

Treatment/Standard of Care

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart that can measure the thickness of the heart muscle. An ECG can also show signs of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. There are some other medical conditions or exposures that can also lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Your doctor will likely want to order several different heart and check your blood pressure.

People with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy take medications to help improve the heart function and prevent complications. In some cases, cardiac devices are recommended.

Additional Resources

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