HYPERTROPHIC

CARDIOMYOPATHY
BY: RICHARD KAMINSKI
DESCRIPTION OF
DISEASE
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) occurs if
heart muscle cells enlarge and cause the walls of the
ventricles (usually the left ventricle) to thicken. The
ventricle size often remains normal, but the
thickening may block blood flow out of the
ventricle. If this happens, the condition is called
obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
• The thickened heart muscle makes it harder for the
heart to pump blood

• 1 in 500 Americans are diagnosed with HCM

• HCM is very common and can affect people of any

age. It affects men and women equally.
HOW DOES A PERSON GET HCM

• HCM usually is inherited. It's caused by a change in

some of the genes in heart muscle proteins. Also, HCM
can develop over time because of high blood pressure or
aging.
• Diseases such as diabetes or thyroid disease can cause
HCM.

• HCM often goes undiagnosed due to many people having

few to no symptoms with no significant problems
• It is a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young
people, especially in young athletes.
SYMPTOMS OF HCM

• Chest pain or trouble breathing

• Feeling dizzy or faint when you stand up quickly or exercise
• Fatigue and weakness
• Strong, rapid, or irregular heartbeats that feel like pounding in your chest
• Swollen or bulging neck veins
DOES IT SPREAD? GENES OR OTHERWISE?

• HCM is inherited
• It is autosomal dominant condition
• There’s a 50% chance that the children of a parent with HCM will inherit the genetic mutation
for the disease

• It cannot be prevented
SCREENINGS AND TESTS

• Screenings:
• Genetic testing
• Echocardiogram for first-degree relative(s)

• Tests:
• Echocardiogram
• Is an imaging test to allow doctors see whether your heart muscle is abnormally thick, your blood flow is obstructed and your heart valves are moving
normally
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Detects enlarged chambers of your heart and abnormal heart rhythms
• Treadmill Stress Test
• Monitors your heart rhythm, blood pressure and breathing while running on a treadmill
• Holter Monitor
• It’s a portable ECG and tracks your normal routine
• Cardiac MRI
• Uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of your heart
• Cardiac Catheterization
• A catheter is carefully threaded to your heart chambers under guidance of an X-ray machine
TREATMENT

• Treatment goal is to relieve symptoms and prevent sudden cardiac death

• Treatment options:
• Medications
• Given to relax the heart muscle and to slow the heart rate so the heart can pump more efficiently
• Beta blockers are most common medication given
• Septal myectomy
• An open- heart procedure where the surgeon removes part of the thickened, overgrown septum between the ventricles.
This removal will improve blood flow and reduce mitral regurgitation
• Septal ablation
• Alcohol is injected through a long, thin tube (catheter) into the artery supplying blood to the thickened heart muscle
• Implantable cardioverter- defibrillator (ICD)
• Very similar to a pacemaker
• May be recommended if you have life-threatening heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias)

• Specific treatment varies depending on the severity of your symptoms

LIFESTYLE AND HOME REMEDIES

• Lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of

complications
• Getting physical activity
• Eating a healthy diet
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Reducing alcohol consumption
• Taking your medications
• Having regular medical appointments
PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH
MY SISTER OLIVIA
• Me: How did you find out you had heart disease, more specifically HCM? Liv’s
• Olivia: “I was tweleve years old. I went for my yearly physical and my pediatrician heard I had a slightly heart murmur. Mom
Leag
called a pediatric cardiologist. I went in for further testing and was diagnosed with HCM. After genetic testing, we found out
that mom is the carrier for HCM.” ue
• Me: How has HCM affected you?
• Olivia: “It’s changed my life drastically. I was set back on not playing sports. My world was completely flipped.”

• Me: What sports did you doctor allow you to play?

• Olivia: “For awhile I was sad because I could only play golf and not volleyball. I’ve played volleyball since I can remember. I
decided to coach volleyball. Let me say, that was a challenge because I just wanted to run out on the court and help the girls out!
But it was a wonderful experience and showed me that God had a plan for me. It also helped me cope with the challenges and
set backs. I was very blessed because 3 years ago, my doctor cleared me to only play volleyball.”

• Me: What are doctor appointments like?

• Olivia: “They are an all day process. My doctor is a specialist for HCM at Children’s Hospital. I first begin with an echo. My
favorite sonographer is David! When I was first diagnosed, he saw I was devasted and truly cared. He gave me a teddy bear and
I still have it to this day. After the echo, I have to get a stress test. That’s when I have to go on the treadmill and it is very
strenuous. The speed they set it at increases each year and the incline is at 10. Each year I beat my time; my time this year is 13
minutes 23 seconds. After my stress test, I see my doctor. I also have to get a yearly MRI. That truly shows how my heart is
working and if it has gotten any thicker.”

• Me: Are there anyways you give back to others with HCM or heart disease?
• Olivia: “Every year, I attend the American Heart Walk. I started Liv’s League to raise money for people with heart disease, but
more importantly people with HCM. I also support other local heart disease walks. Today, I know that I have an easier time
explaining how heart disease has affected me.”
CITATIONS

•Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) - Cardiomyopathy UK, www.cardiomyopathy.org/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy/intro.

•“Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - Genetics Home Reference.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health,
ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/familial-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy.
•Fogoros, Richard N. “3 Most Common Types of Heart Failure.” Verywell Health, www.verywell.com/heart-failure-the-basics-1746178.
•“Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/heart/depts/hypertrophic-
cardiomyopathy.
•“Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Prognosis.” Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Learning Center,
hypertrophiccardiomyopathy.com/prognosis.
•Kaminski, Richard H, and Olivia A Kaminski.
•Marian, Ali J., and Eugene Braunwald. “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.” Circulation Research, American Heart Association, Inc., 15
Sept. 2017, circres.ahajournals.org/content/121/7/749.